Canadian woman describes experience surviving hantavirus 20 years ago

Lorinda Nordstrom says she ended up with flu-like symptoms that turned into a severe dry cough with blood after she had finished cleaning her friend’s farm.

The woman from White Fox, Sask., says she also lost her eyesight and had trouble standing up by the time she drove home and got out of the car.

She called a friend, who was a paramedic, to drive her to a hospital. Nordstrom says she learned she had hantavirus, a rodent-borne disease.

While she was under quarantine for seven days, she says she experienced extreme body aches.

“They sent me home with no help, no treatment, and told me to get my end of life in order, which is very scary as a young mom,” Nordstrom said in an interview with CTV News Channel on Monday.

“Considering it was 20 years ago, to this day when I see mice droppings, I don’t want to touch it or even go near it,” she added.

Nordstrom recounted her ordeal to CTV News Channel on Monday, following recent news about an outbreak of suspected hantavirus on a cruise ship that has killed three people.

Hantavirus is spread mainly through contact with rodents, including their droppings, urine or saliva, The Associated Press reported. The World Health Organization says human-to-human infections are rare.

Hantaviruses can cause serious infections in people. One common hantavirus disease is hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. HPS is found in North and South America and affects the lungs, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome is another type of hantavirus disease, which is more common in Europe and Asia.

No specific treatment or vaccine exists for hantaviruses, PHAC stated on its website. Instead, rest, hydration and breathing support like intubation are recommended for patients, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

With files from The Associated Press

Watch the video above for the full interview.