Hantavirus en pediatría: tres formas de presentación

The Hantavirus genus, which belongs to the Bunyaviridae family, is a virus transmitted by aerosolization of feces from infected rodents belonging to the Muridae family. This virus can cause two types of conditions: hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). Knowing the different types of presentation is important for the therapeutic approach. Three pediatric cases of hantavirus disease, confirmed by specific IgM, with different presentations and evolutions, are presented, with the intention of alerting about the pathology and forms of presentation. All cases come from an endemic area for hantavirus, in Paraguay. Case 1: pulmonary syndrome: schoolchild with fever, cough, respiratory distress, interstitial pneumonia, decreased oxygen saturation. Admitted to intermediate care room, with oxygen and support measures. Good evolution and discharged after 7 days. Case 2: Cardiopulmonary syndrome: Preschooler with cough, dyspnea, arterial hypotension. 90% O2 saturation. Admitted to ICU, ARM, with pulmonary hypertension, with antibiotics until serology and cultures return. Discharged after 6 days Case 3: Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome: Older infant patient, with history of fever, general malaise. Admitted with generalized purpuric lesions, edematous, hypotensive, stuporous. With progressive acute renal failure. No response to supportive treatments. Died on day 7. The disease caused by hantavirus can have various expressions and can be fatal. The origin of the patients must be taken into account and included in the differential diagnoses.