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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffBlood tests are the main method for diagnosing hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. These are laboratory tests that analyze samples of your blood for the presence of certain antibodies that your body produces as a defense against disease-causing agents (pathogens). For people with hantavirus infection, antibodies of the IgM and IgG classes are nearly always present in the blood by the time signs and symptoms appear.
Because hantavirus pulmonary syndrome can resemble many other illnesses, your doctor may order further laboratory tests — such as cultures, urinary antigen tests or other blood tests — to rule out other conditions. For example, symptoms of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome can resemble influenza, Legionnaires' disease, pneumonic plague and Q fever.
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- Shafts C. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2009. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2008: 380.
- Brown D, et al. Zoonotic viruses. In: Cohen J, et al. Cohen & Powderly: Infectious Diseases. 2nd ed. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2004:2095.
- Hantavirus infection. The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec17/ch198/ch198j.html. Accessed Dec. 21, 2008.
- Hjelle B. Epidemiology and diagnosis of hantavirus infections. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 21, 2008.
- Hjelle B. Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 21, 2008.
- All about hantaviruses: How do I prevent HPS? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hanta/hps/noframes/prevent.htm. Accessed Dec. 21, 2008.
- Steckelberg JM (expert opinion). Mayo
