Hantavirus

Your Path

  • Hantavirus

Etiology

  • Carried on rodents (living or dead)
  • Infected person may not recall contact with animal (inhaled aerosolized virus) or by bites/touching animal (or urine, feces)
  • There are multiple viruses within the hantavirus family, carried by different rodents
  • Old World Hantavirus (Asia) - hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome
  • New World Hantavirus (North, Central and South America) - cardiopulmonary syndrome

Risk Factors

  • Rodent exposure
  • Incubation 3-4d
  • Highest in Western US (for Hantavirus in North America): CA, NM, CO, AZ
  • Peak season Spring and Summer (can occur other times of year too)

Symptoms

  • Fever
  • Myalgias
  • HA
  • N
  • V
  • Abd pain
  • Then rapidly progressive resp sx
  • Severe disease can affect lungs and heart (hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome)

Physical Exam Findings

  • Severe illness
  • Fever and abnormal vital signs
  • Lung findings of pulmonary edema

Tests

Links