Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome

Learn about the rodent-transmitted virus that causes severe — and sometimes fatal — lung disease with flu-like symptoms that can rapidly worsen.

Update Date: 14.05.2026

Overview
Symptoms
When to see a doctor
Causes
Risk factors
Complications
Prevention
Diagnosis
Treatment
Preparing for your appointment

Overview

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a rare infectious disease that begins with flu-like symptoms. It quickly becomes a more severe disease. The syndrome can lead to life-threatening lung and heart problems. The disease also is called hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome.

Several strains of the hantavirus can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. These strains are carried by different types of rodents. In North America, the Sin Nombre virus is spread by the deer mouse. Infection is usually caused by inhaling airborne rodent urine, droppings or saliva that contain hantavirus particles. This strain doesn't pass from person to person.

In South America, the Andes virus is spread by the long-tailed pygmy rice rat. Infections by this strain most often start when a person inhales rodent, urine, droppings or saliva. But it can pass from a person with symptoms to other people. Close contacts, such as family members, are at the highest risk for person to person spread.

Because treatment options are limited, the best protection against hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is to avoid contact with rodents and safely clean up rodent habitats.

Symptoms

The time from infection with the hantavirus to the start of illness may be 1 to 8 weeks. Often symptoms start about 2 to 4 weeks after exposure. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome advances through two distinct stages. In the first stage, which can last for several days, the most common signs and symptoms are:

  • Fever and chills.
  • Muscle aches or pain.
  • Headache.

Some people also experience:

  • Nausea.
  • Stomach pain.
  • Vomiting.
  • Diarrhea.

As the disease progresses, it can lead to damaged lung tissues, fluid buildup in the lungs, and serious problems with lung and heart function. Symptoms may include:

  • Cough.
  • Difficulty breathing.
  • Low blood pressure.
  • Irregular heart rate.

When to see a doctor

The symptoms of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome can worsen suddenly and may quickly become life-threatening. If you have flu-like symptoms that progressively worsen over a few days, see your healthcare professional. Get immediate medical care if you have trouble breathing.

Causes

Rodent carriers

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a human disease found only in North and South America. Each strain of the hantavirus has a rodent carrier.

The deer mouse is the most common carrier of the Sin Nombre virus in North America and Central America. In the United States, most of the infections occur in the states west of the Mississippi River.

Other carriers in North America include the rice rat and cotton rat in the Southeast and the white-footed mouse in the Northeast. Rodent carriers in South America include the rice rat, which spreads Andes virus, and the vesper mouse, which spreads Laguna Negra virus.

Transmission

The virus is present in rodent urine, feces or saliva. You can come in contact with the virus in the following ways:

  • Inhaling virus particles when they become airborne from disturbed rodent droppings or nesting materials. This is the most likely form of transmission.
  • Eating food contaminated with mouse saliva, urine or droppings.
  • Touching things contaminated with the virus, such as a nest, and then touching your mouth, eyes or nose.
  • Being bitten or scratched by an infected rodent.

Person-to-person transmission of the virus has only been recorded with a strain of the virus found in South America called the Andes virus.

Effect of the virus

When hantaviruses reach the lungs, they invade tiny blood vessels called capillaries, eventually causing them to leak. Your lungs fill with fluid, called pulmonary edema, resulting in severe trouble with lung and heart function.

Related disease

Another disease caused by different strains of the hantavirus is called hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, which causes severe kidney disease. These strains of the virus have other animal carriers in Africa, Asia and Europe.

Risk factors

In the United States, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is most common in rural areas of the West. However, any exposure to rodent habitats can increase the risk of disease.

Common sites for exposure to rodent nests, urine and droppings include:

  • Farm buildings.
  • Infrequently used buildings, such as storage sheds.
  • Campers or seasonal cabins.
  • Campsites or hiking shelters.
  • Attics or basements.
  • Construction sites.

Activities that can increase the risk of exposure to the hantavirus include:

  • Opening and cleaning buildings not used for a long time.
  • Cleaning up rodent nests or droppings without appropriate precautions.
  • Working in a field that increases exposure to rodents, such as construction, utility work, pest control or farming.

Complications

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome can quickly become life-threatening. Severe disease can result in failure of the heart to deliver oxygen to the body. Each strain of the virus differs in severity. The death rate for the most serious strain can range from 30% to 50%. Milder strains cause death in 10% to 30% of infections.

Prevention

Keeping rodents out of your home and workplace can help reduce your risk of hantavirus infection. Try these tips:

  • Block access. Mice can squeeze through holes as small as 1/4 inch (6 millimeters) wide. Seal holes with wire screening, steel wool, metal flashing or cement.
  • Close the food buffet. Wash dishes promptly, clean counters and floors, and store your food — including pet food — in rodent-proof containers. Use tight-fitting lids on garbage cans.
  • Reduce nesting material. Clear brush, grass and junk away from a building's foundation.
  • Set traps. Spring-loaded traps should be set along baseboards. Exercise caution while using poison-bait traps, as the poison also can harm people and pets.
  • Move rodent-friendly yard items. Move woodpiles or compost bins away from the house.
  • Air out unused spaces. Open up and air out cabins, campers or rarely used buildings before cleaning.

Safe cleanup procedures

Do not sweep or vacuum rodent droppings or nest areas. Safe cleaning can help prevent the spread of viruses. Follow these steps:

  • Wear a type of mask called a respirator and rubber or plastic gloves.
  • Spray the nest, droppings or dead rodent with a household disinfectant, alcohol or bleach and water solution. Let it sit for five minutes.
  • Use paper towels to clean up and dispose of towels in garbage.
  • Mop or sponge the area with a disinfectant.
  • Wash gloved hands and dispose of gloves and mask.
  • Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.

Diagnosis

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome may be diagnosed based on your symptoms. Your healthcare professional may order other laboratory tests to rule out other conditions with similar symptoms. The diagnosis may be confirmed using blood tests to see if you've been exposed to hantavirus.

Treatment

Specific treatment options for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome are limited. But the outlook improves with early recognition, quick hospital care and support for breathing.

Supportive therapy

People with severe cases need immediate treatment in an intensive care unit. Intubation and mechanical ventilation may be needed to support breathing and to help manage fluid in the lungs. Intubation involves placing a breathing tube through your nose or mouth into the windpipe, also called the trachea. This helps keep your airways open and functioning.

Blood oxygenation

Severe disease may require a treatment called extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to help make sure you get a sufficient supply of oxygen. This involves continuously pumping your blood through a machine that removes carbon dioxide and adds oxygen. The oxygenated blood is then returned to your body.

Preparing for your appointment

You might first see your primary healthcare professional. However, when you call to set up an appointment, your healthcare professional may recommend urgent medical care. If you're having difficulty breathing or know you have been exposed to rodents, seek emergency medical attention.

What you can do

Before your appointment, you may want to write a list of answers to the following questions:

  • What symptoms are you experiencing? When did they begin?
  • Have you recently cleaned any rarely used rooms or buildings?
  • Have you had any recent exposure to mice or rats?
  • Do you have any other medical problems?
  • What medicines and supplements do you take?

What to expect from your doctor

Your healthcare professional is likely to ask you several questions including:

  • Do you have flu-like symptoms, such as fever, muscle aches and fatigue?
  • Have you had any digestive system problems, such as diarrhea or vomiting?
  • Have you noticed your heart beating faster than usual?
  • Are you having difficulty breathing? If so, is it getting worse?
  • Is anyone else in your life having similar signs or symptoms?

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