Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome--United States, 1993.

In June 1993, a newly recognized hantavirus was identified as the etiologic agent of an outbreak of severe respiratory illness (hantavirus pulmonary syndrome [HPS]) in the southwestern United States. Since this problem was recognized, sporadic cases have been identified from a wide geographic area in the western United States. This report summarizes the epidemiologic characteristics of HPS cases reported to CDC from May 1 through December 31, 1993.