Skip to Main Content
U.S. Forest Service
Caring for the land and serving people

United States Department of Agriculture

Home > Search > Publication Information

  1. Presence of hantavirus in small mammals of the Ouachita Mountains

    Share via EmailShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare on Twitter
    Dislike this pubLike this pub
    Author(s): Roger W. Perry; Ronald E. Thill; Philip A. Tappe; M. Anthony Melchiors
    Date: 1997
    Source: Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science. 51:210-211
    Publication Series: Miscellaneous Publication
    PDF: View PDF  (104 KB)

    Description

    In 1993, an outbreak of human hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) occurred in the southwestern United States causing severe pulmonary dysfunction and death among most of those infected. Shortly after the outbreak, the causative agent was identified as the Sin Nombre virus (SNV), a virus of the genus Hantavirus. Several hantaviruses have since been identified in North America, and rodents have been identified as the hosts of these hantaviruses. Each hantavirus has been associated with a single primary host species in which it causes a chronic, persistent infection involving the shedding of virus in saliva, feces, and urine. Infection to humans is thought to be from inhalation of aerosolized virus (breathing of small particles such as dust from feces, blood, or urine). However, rodent bites or direct contact with broken skin or mucus membranes also are potential sources of infection. The authors discuss the findings of their research to determine the incidence of hantavirus antibodies in Arkansas small mammals to ascertain potential risks for human hantavirus infection.

    Publication Notes

    • You may send email to pubrequest@fs.fed.us to request a hard copy of this publication.
    • (Please specify exactly which publication you are requesting and your mailing address.)
    • We recommend that you also print this page and attach it to the printout of the article, to retain the full citation information.
    • This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.

    Citation

    Perry, Roger W.; Thill, Ronald E. ; Tappe, Philip A.; Melchiors, M. Anthony. 1997. Presence of hantavirus in small mammals of the Ouachita Mountains. Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science. 51:210-211

    Related Search

    XML: View XML
Show More
Show Fewer
Jump to Top of Page
https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/240