Woman Sick With COVID-Like Symptoms, Diagnosed With Hantavirus

In October, hiker Sue Ryan from Colorado made several visits to the hospital after experience coronavirus-like symptoms. It turns out she had the rare hantavirus.

Sue's symptoms included high fever and headache while her lungs and heart filled up with fluid. After hiking and camping on the Colorado Trail, she got sick and initially took a coronavirus test, which had negative results.

When her symptoms got worse and had trouble breathing, she was tested for Covid, influenza, and had her lungs X-rayed. A pulmonologist confirmed that she got hantavirus.

"Because it's so rare, I was actually blown away. I actually got this disease and didn't die," said Sue. It's important to let your doctor know if you've encountered mice, she reminded the public.

Hantaviruses

Infection from hantavirus can come from rodent host species that shed pathogens in their urine, feces, saliva. The "New World" hantaviruses in North and South America may cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), while "Old World" hantaviruses in Europe and Asia may result in hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). In the United States, the deer mouse can also cause the Sin Nombre virus.

The virus is so rare that there's only been 151 documented cases in the state since the early 1990s and 41 fatalities. The peak season for hantavirus is typical during the spring until the early summer.

Symptoms typically occur after two weeks of exposure, which is around the same as coronavirus and may explain Sue's initial assumption. Infected people typically have a severe leg, hip, and back pain and may or may not have fever and chills.

Body pain is a distinct feature of the virus, explained Brian, and is not relieved with pain killers. Infection also quickly spreads to the heart and lungs. If left untreated, it could result in death.

How To Prevent Infection

Spring break or summer break is when people typically their sheds and garages where deer mice have nested, said Lauren Bryan from UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center. The bodily fluids of dead mice carry the virus and may cause infection if people aren't careful while cleaning. Moreover, 30% of infections occurred when people didn't even encounter a mouse.

For now, there is no vaccine or cure for the virus, but it can be confirmed with a blood test. Bryan also said that UV light could kill the virus, so allowing direct sunlight into the areas you'll clean would help prevent infection. Proper handwashing is important too.

Nesting materials such as straw or mice droppings are signs that they may be nesting in your garage or shed. They can also chew up holes in pet food bags or other containers in storage areas.
Keeping mice and other rodents out of your homes will not only prevent hantavirus infection. Mice can also carry ticks, which can cause other diseases such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

Check out more news and information on Hantavirus on Science Times.