Who is affected by hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS)

Through July 6, 2005, 396 cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) had been reported in the United States.¹

• HPS mostly affects adults, but the age of people who develop HPS has ranged from 10 to 83 years old.
• HPS affects both sexes, although males are at a slightly higher risk of developing the illness (63% male and 37% female).
• 77% of the people with HPS have been white, 19% 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 31 states.² Most people who develop HPS either live in rural areas or have visited rural areas within 4 weeks before symptoms of the illness appear.

Other countries also have had outbreaks:

• HPS has been found in western Canada, where 32 cases have been confirmed.³
• In the mid- to late 1990s, more than 500 cases were reported in South America.³
• A dozen cases were reported in Panama in 1999.⁴

Author:	Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS	Last Updated: March 3, 2008
Medical Review:	Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine Mark A. Rasmus, MD - Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
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