Hantavirus

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Hanta virus

Respiratory system overview

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome

• Chills
• Dry cough
• Fever
• General ill feeling (malaise)
• Headache
• History of exposure to mice droppings, nest, or contaminated dust
• Muscle aches
• Rapid shallow breathing
• Respiratory failure
• Shortness of breath

A doctor may notice signs of:

• Hypoxia (decreased levels of oxygen in the blood, causing the skin to have a bluish tinge)
• Hypotension (decreased blood pressure)
• Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)

Tests include:

• CBC (will show elevated white blood count )
• Platelet count (will be less than 150,000 and decreasing)
• X-ray of the chest (may show material invading the lungs, involving both lungs)
• Liver enzymes (LDH will be elevated)
• Serum albumin (levels will be decreased)
• Hematocrit (will be increased, showing an increase in the levels of red blood cells)
• Serological testing for hantavirus

Review Date: 01/29/2007
Reviewed By: D. Scott Smith, M.D., MSc, DTM&H, Chief of Infectious Disease & Geographic Medicine, Kaiser Redwood City, CA & Adjunct Assistant Professor, Stanford University. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.