Is HPS a virus?

Is HPS a virus?

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a rare but potentially life-threatening viral illness transmitted to humans from the infected urine, droppings or saliva of certain species of mice and rats.

Is HPS contagious?

The hantaviruses that cause human illness in the United States cannot be transmitted from one person to another. For example, you cannot get these viruses from touching or kissing a person who has HPS or from a health care worker who has treated someone with the disease.

Does hantavirus always cause HPS?

Rarely, hantavirus infections result in mild illness that does not progress to HPS. Continued testing and surveillance of clinical cases in humans will improve our understanding of the etiologic agents involved and the spectrum of diseases.

How long does HPS last?

The virus is inhaled into the lungs. Immune cells ingest the virus, which is then transported through the bloodstream to other organs. This phase lasts 2 to 3 weeks, but there are no symptoms, yet.

Can your body fight hantavirus?

There is no specific treatment, cure, or vaccine for hantavirus infection. However, we do know that if infected individuals are recognized early and receive medical care in an intensive care unit, they may do better.

What are symptoms of hantavirus?

Early symptoms include fatigue, fever and muscle aches, especially in the large muscle groups—thighs, hips, back, and sometimes shoulders. These symptoms are universal. There may also be headaches, dizziness, chills, and abdominal problems, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

What is symptoms of hantavirus?

Do all mice carry hantavirus?

Only some kinds of mice and rats can give people hantaviruses that can cause HPS. In North America, they are the deer mouse, the white-footed mouse, the rice rat, and the cotton rat. However, not every deer mouse, white-footed mouse, rice rat, or cotton rat carries a hantavirus.

How easy is it to get hantavirus?

Although it’s possible to get hantavirus infection from a mouse or rat bite, such infections are rare. Most people get it by inhaling dust contaminated by rodent droppings or by touching rodent urine and then touching their mouth, eyes, or nose. Getting infected is easier than it might seem.