What is hantavirus?
After the tragic death of the wife of Hollywood icon Gene Hackman, hantavirus is back in the headlines.
WHAT IS HANTAVIRUS? / TRT World
A type of virus carried by rodents and transmitted to humans primarily through inhalation of airborne particles from dried rodent droppings.
Hantavirus can cause two diseases:
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), which is most common in the US, begins with fatigue, fever and muscle aches and may progress to respiratory failure, with a mortality rate of about 38%. Hemorrhagic Fever with Kidney Syndrome (BSKA), which occurs mainly in Europe and Asia, and can be severe, affecting the kidneys.