Hantavirus Survivor Details Terrifying 2022 Battle With Deadly Virus Amid Latest Confirmed Cases

• A hantavirus survivor has shared her terrifying ordeal after contracting the virus in 2022, amid the latest confirmed cases
• Kristen Musson originally experienced flu-like symptoms, but was then placed on life support and put into a medically induced coma
• Recent hantavirus cases on board the MV Hondius, a cruise ship off Cape Verde, have sparked fresh concern about the virus

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.

NEW YORK – As fear spreads about the recent confirmed cases of hantavirus, a survivor has detailed her experience after contracting it in 2022.

CNN’s Erin Burnett interviewed Kristen Musson, a hantavirus survivor, who described how her condition worsened from just flu-like symptoms to needing to be put in a medically induced coma.

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The interview comes amid reports that approximately eight cases were reported on the MV Hondius, a cruise ship off Cape Verde. Three individuals have already passed away.

Musson details her experience

Talking about her ordeal, Musson stated that in August 2022, she had one week of flu-like symptoms which weren’t getting any better. Worrying about having to get back to work soon, she went to urgent care, but they could not pinpoint what was wrong with her, and so she then went to a hospital in Monterey County.

With her lungs filling up with fluid at an alarming rate, her doctor, Dr Samuel Melton, began suspecting that she had hantavirus. Tests later confirmed this. The tests were conducted after Musson confirmed she embarked on a trip to the Lake Tahoe area in California intransmitted person-to-person mid-to-late July 2022. The wooded/ mountainous area is known for deer mice that carry hantavirus.

She was placed on life support and later put into a medically induced coma to protect her body while her lungs and heart were failing. After approximately five days in a coma, Musson made a strong recovery and was later discharged.

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Musson weighs in on latest cases

Speaking about the latest cases, Musson said it was unsettling that there is a strain that is transmitted person-to-person.

While hantaviruses are primarily contracted from infected rodents, such as through contact with the urine, droppings, or saliva, the Andes strain is the only hantavirus with confirmed, but limited, human-to-human transmission.

“It’s very unsettling. I worry for everyone on board. I worry for everyone that comes in contact with it,” she said.

“I would not wish it on anyone. It’s terrible what I went through,” Musson added.

Other stories about the hantavirus

Briefly News has covered several stories about the recent confirmed cases aboard the cruise ship.

• The World Health Organisation confirmed that there were cases of hantavirus linked to a cruise ship off Cape Verde.
• South African health officials were on alert after a British tourist was admitted to intensive care in Johannesburg after testing positive.
• One of the passengers aboard the cruise ship where the hantavirus broke out spoke about being on the ship after three people died.

Source: Briefly News