Presence of antibodies against the virus in blood samples was reported in the State in 2008 itself and one probable case of the virus-induced ‘hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome’ was reported in 2014. Experts say a good number of ‘leptospirosis-like’ illnesses, wherein patients die within four to five days could be due to hantavirus or a co-infection of leptospirosis and hanta. Symptoms are similar and hard to distinguish without targeted serology tests