About 4 to 10 days after symptoms start, people experience:
coughing
shortness of breath
tightness in the chest
Haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome
Initial symptoms include:
intense headaches
back and abdominal pain
fever/chills
nausea
blurred vision
flushed face
inflammation or redness of the eyes
rash
Later in their illness, people with hantavirus may have:
low blood pressure
shock
bleeding (haemorrhaging)
acute kidney failure
How Hantavirus spreads
People become infected with hantavirus from contact with the urine, faeces or saliva of an infected rodent. This can include:
contact with an infected rodent or contaminated items or materials
by breathing in contaminated dust or aerosols in rodent infested areas
being bitten or scratched by an infected rodent, however this is rare.
The Andes virus is a member of the hantavirus group. Rarely, it can be transmitted from person -to-person through close, prolonged contact. Infection with this virus type causes hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
Prevention
There are no vaccines for hantavirus. General advice is to avoid exposure to rodents and their urine an faeces.
Advice for travellers
If you are travelling to an area where hantavirus infection has been reported:
avoid being around rodents and areas where rodents live.
Before travelling overseas, regularly check the health advice on Smartraveller
How is hantavirus diagnosed
Diagnosing hantavirus usually requires a blood test
Urine, nose and throat swabs and/or tissue samples (e.g. lung, kidney) may also be collected and tested in some instances,
How to treat hantavirus
There are no specific treatments for hantavirus infection.
People who are infected usually require hospitalisation and intensive care. Treatment is mainly supportive and aimed at managing symptoms and complications. This can include including assistance with breathing and fluid management.
Early diagnosis and good supportive medical care can improve health outcomes.
