infections
Hantavirus Infection
Introduction
Hantavirus infection is a viral disease that is spread from rodents to people. The virus can cause severe infections of the lungs (with cough and shortness of breath) or kidneys (with abdominal pain, and sometimes kidney failure). Hantaviruses are spread through contact with infected rodents or their droppings. The infection starts with sudden fever, headache, muscle aches, and sometimes abdominal symptoms, which may be followed by a cough and shortness of breath or by kidney problems. Blood tests to identify the virus can confirm the diagnosis. Oxygen and medications to stabilize blood pressure are used if the lungs are affected, and dialysis may be needed if the kidneys are affected. (See also Overview of Arbovirus, Arenavirus, and Filovirus Infections .) Hantaviruses infect various species of rodents throughout the world. The virus is present in the urine and feces of the rodents. The infection is spread when people have contact with rodents or their droppings or urine or possibly when they inhale virus particles in places with large amounts of rodent droppings. Most hantaviruses do not spread from person to person; rarely, Andes hantavirus in southern South America spreads directly between people in close physical contact. Hantavirus infections are becoming more common. There are several species of hantavirus. Depending on the species the virus affects different organs: The lungs, causing hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) The kidneys, causing hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) However, many symptoms of the two infections overlap. Thecardiopulmonary syndromewas first recognized in the southwestern United States in 1993. As of 2017, about 697 cases have occurred in the United States, most in the western states. Cases have also occurred in Canada and several Central and South American countries. Therenal syndromeoccurs primarily in parts of Europe, Korea, China, and Russia. Seoul hantavirus causes the renal syndrome. This virus is spread by brown Norway rats and has been spread throughout the world by rats on ships. A few cases of hantavirus infection, spread by pet or laboratory rats, have occurred in the United States, Canada, and Europe. 