Serological evidence of Hantaan virus infection in the United States.

We found low titers of fluorescent antibodies against Hantaan virus, the etiologic agent of Korean hemorrhagic fever, in sera from 7 of 1,035 patients with febrile illnesses of unknown origin and from 6 of 664 blood donors in the United States. All but 1 of these individuals possessed neutralizing antibodies against Hantaan virus. This was a 31-year-old research technician who had worked with laboratory rodents with virus-induced tumors, but had not traveled abroad, suggesting that infection with Hantaan virus or a closely related agent was locally acquired. However, the precise source of his infection remains unclear.