Twenty Years After: Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome in the United States

Brief Summary
2013 represents the 20-year anniversary since Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) was first identified, in an outbreak among residents of the Four Corners area of the southwestern United States. HPS causes severe acute respiratory and cardiac disease, with approximately 36% of cases resulting in death. Since 1993, 616 cases of this rodent-borne disease have been identified in 34 states. Every year, 20-40 cases of HPS are reported, with most patients exposed in rural areas in the western US. Because the rodent reservoirs for hantavirus are widespread throughout the US, HPS awareness and prevention remain important—with special emphasis given to high-risk groups such as outdoor enthusiasts and persons coming into frequent occupational contact with rodents. 2012 was a notable year for HPS, when 10 visitors to Yosemite National Park, California, developed illness, leading to a large-scale investigation and renewed public attention to hantavirus. This roundtable will include scientists who responded to the original 1993 outbreak and the 2012 Yosemite outbreak, and state epidemiologists who are directly involved in HPS surveillance.  The forum will serve to inform and energize discussion participants about hantavirus education, epidemiology, and prevention.