Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS)

What is Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS)?

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS; also called hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome, HCPS) is a severe and sometimes fatal respiratory disease caused by hantaviruses (family Hantaviridae, genus Orthohantavirus). Hantaviruses cause two main clinical presentations: 1) Hemorrhagic fever renal syndrome (HFRS) and 2) HPS, which differ by the causative virus species, geographic distribution, and clinical features. Several hantavirus species cause HPS, including Sin Nombre virus, Rio Mamoré virus, Andes virus, Laguna Negra virus, Juquitiba virus, Araraquara virus, Choclo virus, and New York virus. These HPS-causing viruses are found in the Americas and are associated with cricetid rodent hosts (i.e., specific species of rats and mice belonging to the Cricetidae family of rodents) in endemic areas of South and North America. With the deer mouse as its primary host, the Sin Nombre virus is the most significant hantavirus in Southwest North America and a major cause of serious medical conditions in humans.

The Rio Mamoré virus is the most well-known strain in northern South America, and its primary host is the pygmy rice rat. However, the entire region is contaminated with several localised variants rather than a single dominating virus. Long-tailed pygmy rice rats are the primary carriers of the Andes virus, which is the primary cause of hantavirus pulmonary disease in southern South America.

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