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Hantavirus infection
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Hantavirus infection, when it settles in the lungs, is called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. It is a rare viral infection caused by several strains of the hantavirus, meaning several versions of the same family of viruses.
The virus does not come from another person. It comes from rodents. Mice and rats shed it in their urine, their droppings, and their saliva, and people pick it up by breathing air that carries those particles or by coming into contact with the animals or their droppings. Since that is the route, what matters is the air and the dust in enclosed spaces where rodents have been.
What happens next happens in the blood vessels of the lungs. As the virus multiplies, its genetic material, called RNA, builds up and sets off what is known as a cytokine storm, an inflammatory reaction that runs out of control. That reaction makes the vessels permeable, so they begin to let fluid seep out, and the fluid collects in the lungs. That is what pulmonary edema means.
In brief
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a rare viral infection caused by several strains of the hantavirus.
Mice and rats spread it, shedding the virus in their urine, droppings, and saliva; a person can catch it by breathing contaminated air or coming into contact with rodents or their droppings.
Increased viral RNA sets off a cytokine storm that makes the blood vessels permeable and ultimately leads to pulmonary edema.
Sources (2)
- MedlinePlusHantavirus Infections
- National Center for Biotechnology InformationHantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome. StatPearls
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated