Diagnosis and treatment of new world hantavirus infections.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this review is to summarize the current knowledge regarding the diagnosis and treatment of indigenous new world hantavirus infections.


RESULTS
Recent studies have defined the incubation period of new world hantavirus infections, provided additional evidence for person-to-person transmission of Andes virus, described a rapid method for the presumptive diagnosis of infection in the cardiopulmonary phase through a review of the peripheral smear, and suggested that intravenous ribavirin is probably not effective for the treatment of new world hantavirus infections when started in the cardiopulmonary phase.


CONCLUSIONS
Presumptive diagnosis may be made by a review of the peripheral blood smear after the onset of the cardiopulmonary phase. Critical care management includes the avoidance of fluid overload, pressors to maintain cardiac output, and the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in the most severe cases, but treatment with intravenous ribavirin is probably not effective.
Mertz
Gregory J
GJ
Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131-0001, USA. gmertz@salud.unm.edu
Hjelle
Brian
B
Crowley
Mark
M
Iwamoto
Gary
G
Tomicic
Vinko
V
Vial
Pablo A
PA
D006476:Orthohantavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018778:Hantavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000821:virology*; D013577:Syndrome