Effective Treatment of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
Though the early symptoms of hantavirus exposure can mimic other illnesses like influenza, HPS can worsen quickly and require emergency hantavirus treatment. People who experience flu-like symptoms such as chills, muscle aches, fever, or difficulty breathing, and who have been around wild rodents and their droppings, should see a medical care provider immediately.
If you have been exposed to the hantavirus, your condition could become life-threatening very quickly. As your lungs begin to fill with fluid, your coughing will become worse but won’t clear your throat. You’ll find it difficult to breathe, and your blood pressure will drop. Your organs, especially your heart, will begin to shut down and fail. Though the actual rate varies depending on which strain of the hantavirus you have been exposed to, the mortality rate for those with the North American type can exceed 30%.
In reality, there are only limited options when it comes to specifically treating HPS. Your prognosis is better the earlier its dangers are recognized and the sooner you seek treatment. If you have a severe case of HPS, you will need to be immediately hospitalized in the intensive care unit. You might need to be intubated and placed on a ventilator in order to support your breathing and help manage the fluid as it builds up in your lungs. Being intubated involves inserting a breathing tube through your mouth or nose into your trachea to help keep your airways open.
In severe cases, you might have to undergo extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. This process involves pumping your blood through a machine that eliminates the carbon dioxide and replaces it with oxygen. This oxygenated blood is returned to your body.