TY - JOUR AU - Castel, Guillaume AU - Filippone, Claudia AU - Tatard, Caroline AU - Vigan, Jacques AU - Dobigny, Gauthier T1 - Role of Seaports and Imported Rats in Seoul Hantavirus Circulation, Africa T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal PY - 2023 VL - 29 IS - 1 SP - 20 SN - 1080-6059 AB - Seoul orthohantavirus (SEOV) is not considered a major public health threat on the continent of Africa. However, Africa is exposed to rodentborne SEOV introduction events through maritime traffic after exponential growth of trade with the rest of the world. Serologic studies have already detected hantavirus antibodies in human populations, and recent investigations have confirmed circulation of hantavirus, including SEOV, in rat populations. Thus, SEOV is a possible emerging zoonotic risk in Africa. Moreover, the range of SEOV could rapidly expand, and transmission to humans could increase because of host switching from the usual brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) species, which is currently invading Africa, to the more widely installed black rat (R. rattus) species. Because of rapid economic development, environmental and climatic changes, and increased international trade, strengthened surveillance is urgently needed to prevent SEOV dissemination among humans in Africa. KW - Seoul hantavirus KW - viruses KW - zoonoses KW - vector-borne infections KW - orthohantavirus Seoul KW - zoonotic emergence KW - rodent-borne infections KW - Rattus rattus KW - Rattus norvegicus KW - urbanization KW - seaport KW - international trade KW - surveillance KW - spillover KW - Africa DO - 10.3201/eid2901.221092 UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/29/1/22-1092_article ER - End of Reference