In 1993 there where several people that died of respiratory distress that was later diagnosed as Sin Nombre which was caused my Hantavirus from the Bunyaviridae family. This took place at the four corners where Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado meet. They determined that deer mice were the culprits and that Sin Nombre causes Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS). It is believed those that come in contact with urine, feces or saliva of the infected rodents will become ill. Infection can come from breathing in the particles, being bitten or by touching a contaminated object and then touching the nose or mouth.
HPS is a disease that primarily affects the lungs. Early symptoms include flu-like symptoms which makes it difficult to diagnose. It is easier to treat if diagnosed as soon as contamination occurs. About 1 to 8 weeks after contamination, symptoms like fatigue, headaches, fever, dizziness, chills muscle aches, vomit and or stomach problems can appear. The next stage is a more serious stage and begins about 4 to 10 days later. and they include shortness of breath and coughing caused by the lungs being filled with fluid and making it hard for the patient to breath. Blood pressure lowers and organs start to give out making it very dangerous for the patient. There is a 50% chance of death. There have been no cases of a…show more content… There is no real treatment but it is better if the patient is brought to the hospital as soon as possible. If a patient is having trouble breathing and they live or have been in an area where there is a high population of rodents then the patient should get tested for Hantavirus. If the patient tests positive for antigens then they will be admitted into intensive care. Patients will be treated with oxygen therapy and lost fluids will be replaced. In some of the severe cases, the patient might be given the drug ribavirin but it hasn’t been shown to be that