Your patient is a 27-year-old male complaining of difficulty breathing. He states that he has just returned from a month-long backpacking trip across Arizona. He describes a two-week history of fatigue, fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. He started experiencing difficulty breathing yesterday. He has no significant medical history and takes no medications. Physical examination reveals hot, moist skin; bilateral lower-lobe rales on auscultation of the lungs; and the abdomen is soft and nontender. Which of the following is most likely?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The patient's symptoms are consistent with hantavirus infection, which is a viral illness transmitted to humans by rodents. The fever, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are common symptoms, and the difficulty breathing may be due to pulmonary edema, which is a hallmark of hantavirus infection. The bilateral lower-lobe rales on lung auscultation support this diagnosis. Legionnaire's disease, anthrax, and scorpion bites are less likely based on the patient's symptoms and history of travel.

Your Patient Is a 27-Year-Old Male Complaining of Difficulty Breathing