Edited by David Little
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a newly-described syndrome that is characterized by a prodrome of fever, chills and myalgia, followed by the abrupt onset of respiratory distress, often severe and often fatal. the respiratory distress is caused by capillary leak syndrome, i.e., the leaking of proteinaceous fluid from the blood vessels into the air sacs of the lungs causing diffuse "whiteout" (resembling the syndrome known as adult respiratory distress syndrome, ARDS) on chest X-ray. Mortality is about 40-50%. Death is frequently associated with shock and cardiovascular instability, rather than low oxygen saturation.
The defining symptoms are fever, severe myalgias (muscle aches, often involving the back, buttocks and thighs), flank pain, fatigue, weakness, and chills, followed after 1-7 days by severe respiratory distress (shortness of breath) in HPS. Nausea, vomiting and/or severe abdominal pain
The incubation period/onset of symptoms for HFRS is 2-3 weeks range, 4 to 42 days.
It is transmitted from rodents to man, generally via aerosols of contaminated rodent excreta. Occasionally hantaviruses are transmitted via rodent bites.
No human being is known to have transmitted any hantavirus to another human being.
There is no evidence for person-to-person spread of any hantavirus.
There is no cure or vaccine.
