What Are the Symptoms of Hantavirus? Signs to Watch Out For

Hantavirus can be frightening because its early symptoms often look like many ordinary infections. A person may begin with fever, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, nausea, or stomach discomfort, which can easily be mistaken for flu, food poisoning, or a general viral illness. The important clue is usually exposure history: contact with rodents, rodent droppings, contaminated dust, or close contact with a known Andes virus case. The CDC says hantavirus pulmonary syndrome symptoms usually begin 1 to 8 weeks after contact with an infected rodent.

The danger is that some hantavirus infections can worsen quickly. WHO says hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome can progress to cough, shortness of breath, fluid in the lungs, and shock, while haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome can later involve low blood pressure, bleeding disorders, and kidney failure.