Hantavirus infection
A hantavirus infection is a zoonotic disease caused by viruses of the genus Orthohantavirus. The pathogens are primarily transmitted to humans by infected rodents. The disease may be asymptomatic or cause severe clinical manifestations involving the kidneys or lungs.
Detailed description
Hantaviruses belong to the family Hantaviridae. Transmission occurs mainly through inhalation of virus-containing aerosols from the urine, feces, or saliva of infected rodents. The clinical presentation depends largely on the respective serotype. The incubation period is usually between two and four weeks but may range from five days to eight weeks. Many infections are asymptomatic or mild and therefore frequently remain undiagnosed.
Typical symptoms include sudden fever, headache, and muscle and limb pain. Severe courses may involve renal or pulmonary complications. No specific antiviral therapy is currently available, and treatment is mainly supportive and symptomatic.
Hantaviruses are divided into different species that are closely adapted to specific reservoir hosts. In Germany, the Puumala virus, with the bank vole as its reservoir host, is the most important variant. While no relevant human-to-human transmission has been described for hantaviruses occurring in Europe, transmission has been documented for certain lineages of the Andes virus found in South America.
Preventive measures focus primarily on avoiding contact with rodent excreta and using appropriate protective measures during cleaning activities.
Information on the current hantavirus outbreak
