Hantavirus (HPS) Causes, Symptoms and Diagnosing

The first thing we should do is define hantaviruses as not many people are aware of this phenomenon. Any doctor will say that it is a rather serious and often life-threatening form of the virus, which is the result of inhaling the infectious elements. It is passed via respiratory way. It makes the condition even more dangerous as it is impossible to detect the virus in the air with the naked eye. Most of the people risk catching this infection when having direct contact with the carriers.

Living under one roof with the infected person puts the lives of all members under threat. It is better to isolate that person for a while. Completely healthy people are under the threat of hantaviruses when the drops of it are in the air. The healthcare professionals have not heard about any cases of the disease in the North American region, anyway. It means the infection inhabits particular zones. The virus is transferred from person to person, so it is critical to avoid direct contact with the possible rodent.

The causes of hantaviruses are obvious. Those are the infections spread in the specific regions of the world different from the United States. Those infections are called hantaviruses respectively. This parasite lives in the deer mice, so it makes the disease rather rare and unexplored. It is possible to get sick by absorbing the airdrops that arrive from the carrier’s urine. Getting in touch with the mouse’s urine is another risk factor.

A certain amount of dust in the infectious region is one more common risk factor as well as the waste materials. If you live in the United States, you will not face the issue for 99% – no cases were reported by today. It is impossible to get infected by the farm animals and insects, so do not worry about that.

One more important thing is the symptoms of HPS. HPS is an abbreviation for this type of virus. The signs vary based on whether the hantavirus syndrome is at its initial or progressive stage. The first symptoms start in about 1-5 weeks after the primary contact with the source of infection. Those sources are the carrier’s urine, droppings, or feces as well as other waste of the organism. The initial signs take place for 4-10 days. The common symptoms of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome are fever, exhaustion, pain in the muscles, and problems with joints. In most cases, the muscles of the lower extremities suffer.

The risk factors of the HPS were already discussed in the post. Individuals whose profession is related to the sphere of dealing with the rodents or work in the infectious regions are under the highest threat as the infection is spread from person to person via direct contact. Some of the activities may provoke the beginning and development of the infection in the organism: household duties, cleaning activities, working in the unused buildings, working as an employee who may get exposed to deer mouse, working in the place full of the carriers like hospitals, staying close to the infected areas, traveling to the risky regions, camping, and hiking. Other possible risk factors include the utility work, engineering, and construction.

What about the ways to prevent this particular virus? In order to reduce the risk of falling sick after the contact with hantavirus, avoid contacting the rodents like that deer mouse. It is better to keep away from the infected regions and persons as well. Avoid camping and hunting activities in the risky zones. If you have any gaps in the home or garage, it is better to fulfill them not to let the rodents in.

Locate various traps to capture nasty little creatures who may share the infection. It is important to wash hands intensively as well as the opened food. The most current studies proved that most of the people who get infected by the hantavirus face this problem after contacting the carriers at home or in the office.

The last thing you should worry about is the way to diagnose hantavirus to make sure you have exactly this syndrome. Unfortunately, because of the mysterious and rare nature of this disease, the healthcare professionals have no special examinations and tools to detect HPS. The initial signs are typical for many other infections and viruses, so it is hard to tell.

The disease is also rather rare, absent in the US, so not many facts are available. In fact, the is not sharp nee to run a particular test to diagnose HPS. The known infectious regions are the Four Corners and the Yosemite National Park. Various zones of recreation outside the United States have threats. In my cases, the person will realize he or she is infected with HPS.