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How long can the hantavirus survive?
The virus may remain infectious for 2 to 3 days at room temperature. Exposure to sunlight will decrease the time of viability and freezing temperatures will increase the time that the virus remains infectious.
Can you live through hantavirus?
The prognosis of HPS is fair to poor because currently, about 62% of patients recover, while about 38% will die. The prognosis may be better if the patient gets his/her diagnosis early and given support in an intensive care unit in a hospital.
Should I be worried about hantavirus?
What can make hantaviruses so harmful to the people who get them? People who have HPS may be prone to respiratory failure. Respiratory failure can be fatal as well. If an individual who has HPS is able to get past respiratory failure, he or she may require several weeks to heal 100 percent.
Is the hantavirus fatal?
Hantaviruses found in North America can cause Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, a severe lung disease which can be fatal. A milder form of the disease called Non-Pulmonary Hantavirus infection, can also occur.