Cross-neutralization of hantaviruses with immune sera from experimentally infected animals and from hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome patients.

Plaque-reduction neutralization tests were done with eight of nine known representative hantaviruses and immune sera from experimentally infected animals and from patients with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) or hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). Results obtained with animal sera demonstrated each virus to be antigenically unique. Neutralization with the HPS patient sera was highest with Sin Nombre (SN) virus and to a lesser extent with Black Creek Canal (BCC) virus. Sera from Korean HFRS patients reacted best with Hantaan virus, but cross-reactivity with all other viruses except Thottapalayam (TPM) virus was also observed. Sera from Swedish HFRS patients reacted best with Puumala virus but cross-reacted with Prospect Hill, SN, and BCC viruses and to a lesser extent with all of the other viruses except TPM virus.