Hantavirus infections often begin like the flu, making early detection difficult. Common symptoms include fever, fatigue, chills, muscle aches, headaches, and sometimes nausea or abdominal pain.
As the disease progresses, it can become severe. There are two main types of illness caused by hantavirus:
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) – Found in the Americas, it affects the lungs. Patients may develop breathing difficulty as fluid builds up in the lungs. Nearly 40 percent of severe cases can be fatal.
Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS) – More common in Europe and Asia, it affects the kidneys and can lead to low blood pressure, internal bleeding, and kidney failure. Fatality rates range from 5 to 15 percent.
Symptoms may appear anywhere between one to eight weeks after exposure, which makes tracking the source of infection challenging, especially in travel-related cases like cruise ships.
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