Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome - Emerging Dieases

Emerging Diseases

The disease that I chose was the Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) previously known as Four Corners disease. Hantavirus is a single strand virus that infects rodents like the cotton rat, deer mouse and the white footed mouse. This disease can be contracted when there is an interaction with an infected rodent or contact to their droppings, urine, and saliva. They are usually found in rural areas like fields, forests and farms that offer suitable habitat for the infected rodents.  The incubation period can range from one to four weeks while the infected go through three phases. Early symptoms of this disease are fatigue, headaches, dizziness, muscle aches, chills and stomach problems. These symptoms may start to develop between one and five weeks after being exposed to an infected rodent or its droppings. Approximately four to ten days after someone becomes ill from HPS, the late symptoms will appear. These symptoms includes shortness of breath, coughing and the lungs being filled with fluids. (Hantavirus, 2013)

It can be difficult to diagnose Hantavirus in the early stages because the symptoms can be misdiagnosed as influenza. If someone are experiencing the early symptoms and are exposed to rural rodent, there is possibility that they have HPS. There is no specific treatment or vaccination for the Hantavirus Infection. People that are infected and recognized the symptoms early can receive medical attention in intensive care that can help them get better. The patients are intubated and they receive oxygen treatment to aid them through the severe breathing problems. This process is less likely to be effective for a patients that is experiencing the later symptoms. (Hantavirus, 2013)

 Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome is considered fatal if you reach the late stages after being infected.  As of December 2013, here has been a reported total of 637 HPS cases in the United States. The disease resulted in death for thirty-six present of those cases. They have been 34 states that has reported cases and majority of the cases are from states west of the Mississippi River. (Reported Cases of HPS, 2014)

References

Hantavirus. (2013, February 6). Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/hps/index.html