Hantavirus Without Panic by Dr Joseph Alton

Added: 2026-05-15

[00:00:00]Hi, Joe Alton MD here, also known as Doctor Bones of the survival website doomandbloom.net, co-author of the book excellence award-winning fourth edition of the Survival Medicine Handbook, and designer quality medical kits at store.doomandbloom.net.

[00:00:15]You've been hearing a lot of scary stuff coming from the media about hantavirus, with some likening it to COVID or worse.

[00:00:22]Now, that's not the case, so let me clear the air a little and maybe present some clarity about the whole thing.

[00:00:28]The virus may sound familiar. The cruise ship cases, a total of maybe a dozen at present, with several dead, isn't the first time you've heard about hantavirus. There was the strange end of actor Gene Hackman and his wife last year. The 95-year-old Hackman, his 65-year-old wife, and a dog were discovered dead in their home. She was found on the bathroom floor with a spilled bottle of pills, while he was in another room. A murder-suicide? Well, nope. It turns out that she died a week before Hackman of a rare illness called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, or HPS.

[00:01:05]He died some days later of heart disease and I would guess dehydration. No hantavirus. The pills actually turned out to be thyroid meds. Now, that was then. This time, a European couple who visited some questionable areas in Argentina were starting to feel ill when they boarded a cruise to the Antarctic.

[00:01:25]Over the next few days, a number of people got ill as well, some worse than others. So, what is hantavirus? Members of the hantavirus virus family are mostly found in their natural reservoir, that is rodents. Make sense?

[00:01:41]Rats and mice are problems in restaurants and cruise ships, which are places where food is stored. But, why talk about it on our channel? Well, rats and mice are likely to be constant companions of survival groups in disaster settings. So, it's important to know about the diseases they can cause.

[00:01:59]Hantaviruses are species specific, which means that each type of rodent has its own version of the virus. While infected rodents remain outwardly healthy, they can transmit the virus to humans and can cause life-threatening damage.

[00:02:14]Humans get infected in several ways.

[00:02:16]Getting bitten or scratched by an infected animal, being in contact with droppings or urine, or eating or drinking contaminated food or water.

[00:02:26]As a medic, your next question should be, "Can I get sick if I take care of somebody with hantavirus?" Well, there haven't been any cases any cases of human-to-human transmission in the United States. So, what went on in the cruise ship? Well, it just so happens that a South American strain of the virus can spread from person to person.

[00:02:46]That's the strain found in the cruise ship passengers.

[00:02:50]Were the original culprits rats on land or on the ship? Probably on land with others getting it on the ship from the infected passengers. So, what about hantavirus pulmonary syndrome or HPS, the deadly form of the infection?

[00:03:04]The initial symptoms of HPS are flu-like. Expect to see sudden onset of fever, cough, headache, and muscle pain.

[00:03:12]3 to 5 days later, the infected person may feel shortness of breath and chest pain.

[00:03:17]That's different. Respiratory failure follows rapidly in these cases due to a immune reaction gone haywire. Every year in the western US, a few cases are reported with about 30% being fatal. The good news, if you survive the first few days, you'll probably recover in a few weeks.

[00:03:35]Another hantavirus variant is called hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome or HFRS.

[00:03:42]It's been found throughout history in Asia, Africa, and Europe. During World War I, hantavirus disease was called trench nephritis, a type of kidney inflammation from rodent-infested front lines. The death rate, however, is only about 1% or so, depending on the subtype. So, can you treat hantavirus infection? Well, in normal times, treatment depends on the particular variant and includes oxygen therapy, antiviral meds, and dialysis if there's kidney failure. A cure does not yet exist. Now, off the grid, it's going to be very difficult to treat a major case.

[00:04:17]The medics should alleviate symptoms like fever, ensure good hydration, and generally support the patient until they recover. Most will.

[00:04:26]It may take weeks or months to fully return to normal, though, with chronic fatigue and decreased exercise tolerance commonly seen long-term. Now, let's talk about prevention. Now, I'm pretty wary of some vaccines, but for hantavirus, that's not an issue. There isn't one.

[00:04:42]Diligent rodent-proofing is how you can help reduce the risk. Here's some steps to help. Avoid exposures of mice, rats, and their droppings. Wear gloves and a mask that covers your nose and mouth if you can't avoid exposure. Use disinfectant on areas that are contaminated.

[00:04:59]Don't use a broom to clean out droppings as it causes viral dust to go airborne.

[00:05:04]Use a vacuum instead. Seal holes around the retreat that might allow mice and rats to enter.

[00:05:09]Set rodent traps in and around your home. Avoid leaving human or pet food outside and ensure good ventilation in the retreat.

[00:05:19]More information on rodent-proofing a home can be found by using the search engine at doomenbloom.net.

[00:05:25]So, is hantavirus the next worldwide pandemic? Nope. A total of less than a dozen cases on a cruise ship and a yearly few in rat-infested areas of the US does not a pandemic make. Should you remain vigilant? Of course. Do your own research and come to your own conclusions. This is Joe Alton MD, that old Dr. Bones, wishing you the best of health in good times or bad. Thanks for watching. Hi, Nurse Amy here. Just wanted to remind you guys not to forget to visit store.doomandbloom.net for all your holiday shopping, gifts for birthdays, Mother's Day, Father's Day, any day actually. If you want to help somebody survive a first aid issue, make sure you go to store.doomandbloom.net.

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