Humoral Immunity to Hantavirus Infection

Abstract

Hantaviruses are pathogens that sometimes pass from animals to humans, and they are found in parts of Europe, Asia, and North and South America. When human infection occurs, these viruses can cause kidney or lung failure, and as many as 40% of infected people die. Currently, there are no vaccines or therapeutics for hantavirus-related diseases available. A first step in developing prevention measures is determining what type of immune response is protective. Increasingly it has become clear that the induction of a type of response called a neutralizing antibody response is critical for protection from severe disease. Although virologists first described this family of viruses in the 1950s, there is limited information on what features on the surface of hantaviruses are recognized by the immune system. Here, we review the current state of knowledge of this information, which is critical for the design of effective therapeutics and vaccines.