Health Guide

  It starts like the flu — fever, headache, muscle aches. But within days, it can become a life-threatening emergency. Hantavirus is back in the spotlight, and here's what you should know. Key facts Hantaviruses are a group of viruses carried by rodents that can cause severe disease in humans. People usually get infected through contact with infected rodents or their urine, droppings or saliva. Infection with hantaviruses can cause a range of illnesses, including severe disease and death. In the Americas, hantaviruses can cause hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS), a severe respiratory illness, with a case fatality rate up to 50%. Andes  virus, found in South America, is a currently known hantavirus for which limited human‑to‑human transmission among contacts has been documented. In Europe and Asia, hantaviruses cause haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). What exactly is hantavirus? Hantavirus isn't new — it's a family of viruses carried by rodents worldwide....