What part of the body does Hantavirus affect?

What part of the body does Hantavirus affect?

How Hantavirus Affects Your Body. Hantaviruses infect people when they are inhaled. If the virus reaches your lungs, it can infect the cells that line the tiny blood vessels in the lungs, causing them to become “leaky.” The leaky blood vessels allow fluid to fill the lungs making it difficult to breathe.

Where is hantavirus most commonly found?

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is most common in rural areas of the western United States during the spring and summer months. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome also occurs in South America and Canada. Other hantaviruses occur in Asia, where they cause kidney disorders rather than lung problems.

What does hantavirus feel like?

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.

How do you catch hantavirus?

The virus is mainly transmitted to people when they breathe in air contaminated with the virus. When fresh rodent urine, droppings, or nesting materials are stirred up, tiny droplets containing the virus get into the air. This process is known as “airborne transmission“.

What kills the hantavirus?

The virus, which is able to survive in the environment for a few hours or days (for example, in dirt and dust in the shade or in rodent nests) can be killed by most household disinfectants, such as bleach, detergents, or alcohol. Exposure to the sun’s UV rays can also kill the virus.

Can you get sick from mice in house?

They can make you very sick While the common house mouse is not as dangerous to your health as a deer mouse, they can still spread disease, such as hantavirus, salmonellosis and listeria through their urine, droppings, saliva and nesting materials.

Is hantavirus in Canada?

Hantavirus is carried by several types of rodents. Canada reports about three cases annually. Health Canada has found the virus in a very small percentage of rodents tested in Northern Ontario. Your chances of getting HPS are very low.

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 long can you live with hantavirus?

Survival of the virus for 2 or 3 days has been shown at normal room temperature. Exposure to sunlight will decrease the time of viability, and freezing temperatures will actually increase the time that the virus survives.

Is mouse urine toxic to humans?

Hantavirus is a potentially life-threatening disease transmitted to humans by rodents-primarily, the white-footed deer mouse. People become infected through exposure or inhalation of infected rodent urine, droppings or saliva, and the chances increase when people are near spaces where rodents are actively living.

Do all mice carry the hantavirus?

How likely is it to get hantavirus?

Cohen: Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is rare — the chance of getting the disease is 1 in 13,000,000, which is less likely than being struck by lightning.

How long does hantavirus live on surfaces?

According to the Washington State Department of Health, in an average room temperature environment, hantavirus can live for about two to three days. Exposure to sunlight shortens the lifespan of this virus, but freezing temperatures can actually extend the lifespan.

How to diagnose hantavirus?

Early symptoms include fatigue, fever, muscle aches, headaches, dizziness, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Late stage symptoms of HPS include cough and shortness of breath. Heart and lung failure may occur. Blood tests are used to help diagnose hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.

Is hantavirus a communicable disease?

Acute Communicable Disease Control. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome(HPS) is a rare but deadly lung disease that mainly spreads by inhaling a virus found in the droppings and nesting material of infected wild rodents. In California, HPS is usually found in deer mice. Deer mice are grey to brown on top and white underneath.

Can hantavirus be cured?

There is no specific treatment or cure for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, and treatment is based on managing symptoms to reduce severity of illness. Where is it found? Hantavirus is carried by wild rodents. It isn’t just one virus, but actually a group of viruses. In the United States, the most common carrier is the deer mouse.