Successful Implementation of a Rapid Screening Tool for Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome: 5 Years of Experience From a Community Hospital in an Endemic Region.

Abstract

Hantavirus is endemic in the Four Corners region of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah, and hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) disproportionately affects the Navajo Nation. We describe the application of a rapid screening tool for identification of HCPS. A rapid screening tool for HCPS was implemented at Tséhootsooí Medical Center (TMC) in collaboration with academic partners. Since its implementation in 2016, 20 TMC staff members have been trained to perform this test, and 189 screens for HCPS have been reported. Although hantavirus infection is rare even in high-risk areas, use of this tool resulted in the identification of 4 acute cases of hantavirus infection. The results demonstrate the successful implementation of a 5-point screening tool for hantavirus infection in an endemic setting by a laboratory in a small community hospital.