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Who Is Affected by Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS)

Through July 5, 2011, 572 cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) had been reported in the United States.1

  • HPS affects both genders, although males are at a higher risk of developing the illness (63% male and 37% female).
  • 78% of the people with HPS have been white, 18% have been American Indian, 2% have been African American, and 1% have been Asian.

Although the majority of HPS cases occur in the southwestern United States, cases have been reported in 33 states.1 Most people who develop HPS either live in rural areas or have visited rural areas during the 4 weeks before symptoms of the illness appear.

Other countries also have had confirmed cases of HPS, including:2

  • Canada, mainly in the western provinces.
  • South American countries Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, and Bolivia.
  • Panama.

Citations

  1. National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2007). Case information: Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome case count and descriptive statistics. All About Hantaviruses. Available online: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hanta/hps/noframes/caseinfo.htm.
  2. World Health Organization (2004). Number of Cases of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) (Region of the Americas, 1993–2004). Available online: http://www.paho.org/common/Display.asp?Lang=E&RecID=1971.
By Healthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer Robert L. Cowie, MB, FCP(SA), MD, MSc, MFOM - Pulmonology
Last Revised February 22, 2012

Last Revised: February 22, 2012

Author: Healthwise Staff

Medical Review: E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine & Robert L. Cowie, MB, FCP(SA), MD, MSc, MFOM - Pulmonology

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