Survivors of hantavirus have described their harrowing experiences with the disease, labeling it as “hell on earth,” as a recent outbreak has led U.S. officials to issue a “Level 3” threat warning.
Lorne Warburton, who contracted the virus in March 2023, recalled, “The degree of illness and sickness that I went through was hell on earth.” The disease, which has a mortality rate ranging from 20% to 40%, proved to be an arduous battle for him.
In an interview with the BBC, Warburton recounted the initial symptoms he experienced, which resembled those of COVID-19, including body aches, a persistent headache, and fatigue. However, his condition rapidly deteriorated, leaving him “drenched in sweat and struggling to breathe.”
Warburton’s situation became so severe that he was hospitalized for three weeks and relied on a life-support machine before his condition stabilized.
His story has garnered significant attention amid concerns of a wider spread following an outbreak on a Dutch cruise ship, which has captured headlines throughout the week.
Ordeals like his have been commanding attention since an outbreak of the vicious virus on a Dutch cruise ship — and fears of a wider spread — have dominated headlines this week.
That cruise ship was carrying people from all over the world on a weeks-long trip that departed Argentina on March 20, with passengers beginning to show signs of infection within days. Numerous people became infected as the boat cruised up the Atlantic, with three dying so far.
At least 23 passengers are believed to have traveled back to their homes across the world from there — with at least one showing signs of infection so far.
The situation prompted the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to declare a “Level 3” threat, which is the lowest emergency designation and typically means an emergency team has been assembled to address and monitor the situation.
Risks to the general public are still considered low under a Level 3 threat.
But hanta survivors have been sharing their experiences so people can understand just how devastating the virus can be.
Christian Ege, who contracted the virus in 2019, described his symptoms as a “strange flu” at first — but he ended up in the ICU with kidney failure and sepsis.
“The kidneys recovered normally, but it was the coincidence of a bacterial and a viral escalation at the same time that was a bit worrying for a couple of days for sure,” Ege told the BBC.
Hantavirus is often spread through rodent droppings. Ege believes he contracted it from a dead mouse found in his garden before he got sick, and Warburton thinks he got it from mouse droppings while cleaning his attic.
Warburton is still recovering from the illness three years later — but said surviving has given him an appreciation for the simple things in life he didn’t have before.
“My heart is not synching, the chambers aren’t synching properly. So when they got my heart going again, I have a strong heart but it’s not in proper rhythm,” he said.
“I didn’t drink fluids for two weeks when I was in ICU, and I just remember having that sip of fresh clean water was the best thing I ever tasted in my life,” he added.
“You don’t really take things for granted as much,” he said. “I appreciate even the smallest little details that most people wouldn’t even acknowledge or see going through daily life.”
