Imported haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome caused by Dobrava–Belgrade hantavirus in France

Meghann Antoine (1, 2) , Marie Elodie Langlois (1, 2) , Emilie Bres (1, 2) , Maud Rabeyrin (1, 2) , Jean-Marc Reynes (3, 4) , Abbas Deeb (1, 2)

1 CHLS - Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud [CHU - HCL]
2 Université de Lyon
3 ERI - Environnement et Risques infectieux - Environment and Infectious Risks
4 CNR - Centre National de Référence Hantavirus / National Reference Center Hantavirus

Acute kidney injury (AKI) caused by hantavirus infections is rare but should be suspected in any patient presenting with flu-like symptoms, signs of haemolytic–uraemic syndrome or presence of anti-glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) antibodies. We report the first case of Dobrava–Belgrade virus in France imported from southeastern Europe. The characteristic macroscopic appearance of the fresh renal biopsy specimen, displaying a haemorrhagic appearance of the medulla, suggested hantavirus infection. AKI caused by hantavirus infections remains a diagnostic challenge, especially outside endemic areas.

Keywords: Dobrava–Belgrade Orthohantavirus; France; acute kidney injury; haemorrhagic interstitial nephritis; hantavirus infection; renal biopsy

Domains: Life Sciences [q-bio]; Santé publique et épidémiologie; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Human health and pathology; Infectious diseases; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Microbiology and Parasitology; Virology

Meghann Antoine, Marie Elodie Langlois, Emilie Bres, Maud Rabeyrin, Jean-Marc Reynes, et al.. Imported haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome caused by Dobrava–Belgrade hantavirus in France. Clinical Kidney Journal, 2021, 14 (3), pp.1014-1016. ⟨10.1093/ckj/sfaa006⟩. ⟨pasteur-03681843⟩