On Monday, a man in Yunnan Province, southwest China died as he was travelling to Shandong Province in the East on a bus, Global Times newspaper reported.
It is reported that he had died from a virus known as the Hantivirus. 32 other people who boarded the same bus were immediately checked and their results turned out to be unclear.
Hantaviruses in the U.S. cannot be passed from person to person, while rare instances of human-to-human transmission have been documented in Chile and Argentina in people who have had close contact with those sick with the Andes virus, the CDC stated.
What is Hantavirus?
Hantaviruses in the Americas are known as “New World” Hantaviruses and may cause Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) which begins to invade tiny blood vessels called capillaries, eventually causing them to leak. The lungs then flood with fluid, which can trigger any of the respiratory problems.
Other hantaviruses, known as “Old World” Hantaviruses, are found mostly in Europe and Asia and may cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS)," the CDC website said.
In 1978, the etiologic agent of Korean Hemerologic fever was isolated from small infected field rodent Apodemus agrarius near Hantan River in South Korea. The virus was named as Hantaan virus, after the name of the river Hantan.
The Centre for Disease Control says that each strain of Hantavirus is linked with a host species of rodents. This infection with any of the Hantavirus can cause Hantavirus disease in people.
In rare cases, a person may catch Hantavirus if they are bitten by an infected animal. It is possible to catch the virus if a person touches their mouth or nose after handling a surface contaminated with the urine, droppings or saliva of a host, as well as eating contaminated food, experts believe.
Signs and symptoms.
· Early symptoms may include fatigue, fever and muscle aches in thighs, hips,
· Headaches,
· Dizziness
· Nausea and vomiting and abdominal pain
· Abdominal problems, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
Late symptoms
· These symptoms are experienced 4-10 days after contracting the illness. They include
· Dry cough
· Shortness of breath
How to prevent the virus
· By controlling rodents in and around your house. In case one has been around rodents, and have the above symptoms; they are advised to see the doctor immediately.
Treatment
· Treating HPS is quite challenging because there is no specific treatment that’s why a history of rodent exposure accompanied by fever and fatigue is a strong indicator of infection.
Therefore, in case of any mild symptoms, they often need to use a breathing machine and have oxygen therapy.
Comments