Nephropathia epidemica (
NE or
epidemic nephropathy) is a type of
viral haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (
HFRS) caused by the
Puumala virus. The incubation period is three weeks. Nephropathia epidemica has a sudden onset with
fever, abdominal pain,
headache, back pain and
gastrointestinal symptoms. More severe symptoms include internal
hemorrhaging. Although fatal in a small percentage of cases, nephropathia epidemica is generally milder than the HFRS that is caused by hantaviruses in other parts of the world. The
bank vole is the reservoir for the virus, which humans contract through inhalation of aerosolised vole droppings.