Hantavirus

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Hanta virus

Respiratory system overview

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome; Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome

The early symptoms of hantavirus disease are similar to the flu and include:

• Chills
• Fever
• Muscle aches

People with hantavirus may begin to feel better for a very short amount of time, but within 1-2 days, it becomes hard to breathe. The disease gets worse quickly. Symptoms include:

• Dry cough
• General ill feeling (malaise)
• Headache
• Nausea and vomiting
• Shortness of breath

The health care provider will perform a physical exam. This may reveal:

• Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
• Kidney failure
• Low blood pressure (hypotension)
• Low blood oxygen levels, which cause the skin to turn a blue color

The folllowing tests may be done:

• Blood tests to check for signs of hantavirus
• Complete blood count (CBC)
• Complete metabolic panel
• Kidney and liver function tests
• X-ray of the chest

Review Date: 03/11/2011
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).

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