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Thrombocytopenia, fever, and acute renal failure are characteristic features of nephropathia epidemica, the predominant hantavirus infection in Europe. However, clinical presentation and blood cell counts may point to other disorders, [...]

We initiated a study to elucidate the ecology and epidemiology of hantavirus infections in northern Argentina. The northwestern hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS)-endemic area of Argentina comprises Salta and Jujuy Provinces. [...]

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a serious, often fatal illness involving respiratory distress caused by an accumulation of fluid in the lungs. The first cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome occurred in the southwestern US in 1993. Among the first 18 patients, 14 died. Researchers reviewed the medical records of 17 of these patients to characterize the disease. All 17 patients experienced fever and muscle pain before the onset of respiratory distress. Other common symptoms were headache, cough, and nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. The average duration of symptoms before hospitalization was 5.4 days. At hospital admission, all the patients were breathing rapidly and 94% also had a rapid heart rate. Fifty percent had lower than normal blood pressure. Blood tests showed elevated white cell counts, elevated hematocrit and reduced platelet counts. The average length of illness before death was eight days.

To the Editor: Hantaviruses cause 2 severe and often fatal human diseases, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Eurasia and hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) in the Americas. Rodents are [...]

An unexpected and large outbreak of Puumala virus infection in Sweden resulted in 313 nephropathia epidemica patients/100,000 persons in Vasterbotten County during 2007. An increase in the rodent population, milder [...]

We compared the occurrence of nephropathia epidemica cases, over a multi-annual population cycle, in northeastern France with the hantavirus serology for bank voles captured in the same area. We discuss [...]

To the Editor: In a recent letter (1), dos Santos et al. described 3 cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) from Juquitiba and stated that "the first human cases of [...]

To the Editor: The hantaviruses (genus Hantavirus, family Bunyaviridae) include human pathogens and occur worldwide (1). In Western and Central Europe, the predominant serotype is Puumala virus (PUUV), which causes [...]

The May 1993 outbreak of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in southwestern United States was caused by a hantavirus transmitted to humans by the deer mouse. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a respiratory illness characterized by fever, cough, muscle pain, headache and gastrointestinal complaints followed by acute respiratory distress. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) confirmed the diagnosis of 42 patients thus far, 26 of whom have died. Examination of these patients revealed the presence of liquid in the pleural space surrounding the lungs and an abnormal collection of fluid in the lung tissue. Because HPS is not easily distinguished from other respiratory illnesses, care should be taken in making the initial diagnosis. Treatment should be supportive, avoid tissue oxygen depletion and overhydration and include drugs that increase blood pressure or strengthen heart function.