Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a rare viral disease that can damage your heart, lungs and other organs.

It progresses quickly and can be fatal.

Another name for HPS is hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS).

How do you get hantavirus pulmonary syndrome?

People get HPS when they inhale, eat, drink or otherwise come into contact with infected mouse or rat feces (droppings or poop), urine (pee) or saliva (spit).

Can you survive hantavirus?

Yes, you can survive HPS. However, up to 40% of all cases are fatal.

Do all mice and rats carry the hantavirus?

No, not all mice and rats carry hantaviruses. The only mice and rats that carry hantaviruses in North America are:

• Deer mice.
• White-footed mice.
• Rice rats.
• Cotton rats.

However, you can’t tell if a mouse or rat has a hantavirus just by looking at it. It’s a good idea to be cautious. Avoid wild mice and rats, and safely clean up and disinfect any signs of them in your home, including pee, poop or nests.

Who does hantavirus pulmonary syndrome affect?

HPS can affect anyone who comes in contact with infected mouse or rat poop, pee or spit. Cases occur throughout the world.

In the United States, most cases of HPS occur in states west of the Mississippi River.

How common is hantavirus pulmonary syndrome?

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is rare. As of December 2020, there have only been 833 recorded cases of HPS in the United States since medical researchers began tracking it in 1993.

What happens when you have hantavirus pulmonary syndrome?

Once the hantavirus enters your body, it replicates and spreads.

In your lungs, the virus causes your blood vessels to weaken and leak. The air sacs in your lungs can fill with blood, which makes breathing difficult.

In your heart, the virus damages your heart muscle itself and causes your blood vessels to become weak and leak. Weak, leaky blood vessels affect your heart’s ability to pump oxygen-filled blood and nutrients to cells and organs in your body. When your cells and organs can’t get enough blood, your body goes into shock.

If your body goes into shock, you can quickly experience organ failure and die.