Symptoms Of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a life-threatening illness caused by the genus hantaviruses. The case fatality rate ranges from thirty-five to fifty percent. There are five pathogenic hantaviruses responsible for disease in the United States: Sin Nombre hantavirus, New York virus, Monongahela virus, Black Creek Canal virus, and Bayou virus. Sin Nombre hantavirus causes most cases in the United States. Deer mice are the primary reservoir for Sin Nombre virus. Cotton rats, rice rats, and the white-footed mouse also carry the pathogen. Individuals become ill after inhaling or otherwise coming into contact with contaminated rodent droppings or saliva. Over ninety-six of cases in the United States were in states west of the Rocky mountains. The virus is transmitted among rats who bite each other but does not cause disease in the rodent. Reveal the symptoms of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome now.

Fever And Chills

After inhaling or ingesting products contaminated with hantavirus, there is an incubation period of one to eight weeks. During this time, the virus spreads throughout the body but does not cause symptoms. The acute stage of the disease usually begins after two to three weeks. The first three to six days are the febrile stage, characterized by fever and chills and flu-like symptoms. Fever and chills are always present with the disease. The fever is usually between 101and 104 degrees Fahrenheit. The body's immune system reacts to the virus with a widespread inflammatory response that produces fever, chills, and muscle aches. Patients with a fever greater than 101 degrees Fahrenheit after possible exposure to rodent droppings should be tested for hantavirus. Two patients in West Virginia presented with fevers of 102.7 and 102.9 degrees Fahrenheit, typical during the first few days of the illness. In a 2009 case, a nine-year-old girl diagnosed with Sin Nombre hantavirus infection had a fever of 103.8 degrees Fahrenheit. Chills and flu-like symptoms were present in each case.

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