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Hantavirus kills man in China; but it’s not a new virus

24 March 2020 10:45 pm - 9     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Reports of a person in China dying due to a virus called 'hantavirus' have spread panic at a time when the world is battling the pandemic of novel coronavirus, which began in China. The novel coronavirus has killed over 16,000 people around the world and the outbreak is yet to be brought under control.

This morning, hantavirus became one of the top trends on Twitter after the Chinese state media tweeted about one person in the country dying due the virus. However, it turns out, hantavirus is not a new virus and has been infecting humans for decades.

Global Times, a state-run English-language newspaper, wrote on Twitter on Tuesday, "A person from Yunnan Province died while on his way back to Shandong Province for work on a chartered bus on Monday. He was tested positive for hantavirus. Other 32 people on bus were tested."

Global Times's hantavirus report on Twitter has been shared over 6,000 times.

On Tuesday, hantavirus was one of the top trends on Twitter.

WHAT IS HANTAVIRUS?

Some people are calling it a new virus but so is not the case. United States's National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) in a journal writes that currently, the hantavirus genus includes more than 21 species.
In 1978, a causative agent Korean Hemerologic fever was isolated from small infected field rodent near Hantan river in South Korea.

The virus was named as Hantaan virus, after the name of the river Hantan. This initial discovery dates back to scientific approaches that were initiated after the Korean war (1951-1953), during which more than 3,000 cases of Korean hemorrhagic fever were reported among United Nations (UN) troops.

In 1981, a new genus termed as "hantavirus" was introduced in the Bunyaviridae family, which included the viruses that cause hemoroligic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).

CDC ON HANTAVIRUS

The United State's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on its website, writes that hantaviruses are a family of viruses spread mainly by rodents and can cause varied disease syndromes in people across the world.

"Hantaviruses in the Americas are known as 'New World' hantaviruses and may cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome [HPS]," CDC says. "Other hantaviruses, known as 'Old World' hantaviruses, are found mostly in Europe and Asia and may cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome [HFRS]."

Any man, woman, or child who is around mice or rats that carry harmful hantaviruses can get HPS.
People get HPS when they breath in hantaviruses. This can happen when rodent urine and droppings that contain a hantavirus are stirred up into the air. People can also become infected when they touch mouse or rat urine, droppings, or nesting materials that contain the virus and then touch their eyes, nose, or mouth. They can also get HPS from a mouse or rat bite.

In the US, 10 confirmed cases of hantavirus infection in people who visited Yosemite National Park in California, US, in November, 2012, were reported. Similarly, in 2017, CDC assisted health officials in investigating an outbreak of Seoul virus infection that infected 17 people in seven states.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF HANTAVIRUS?

If people get HPS, they will feel sick one to five weeks after they were around mice or rats that carried a hantavirus.

At first people with HPS will have:

Fever
Severe muscle aches
Fatigue

After a few days they will have a hard time breathing. Sometimes people will have headaches, dizziness, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain.

Usually, people do not have a runny nose, sore throat, or a rash.(India Today)


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  Comments - 9

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  • Saman Wednesday, 25 March 2020 01:12 AM

    China has many viruses for export - later they follow up with face masks and disposable gloves

    Vijay M Wednesday, 25 March 2020 01:40 AM

    Until the WHO clears China from all Infectious Diseases of Mass Destruction , Chinese should be banned from international travel.

    Vijay M Wednesday, 25 March 2020 01:40 AM

    Until the WHO clears China from all Infectious Diseases of Mass Destruction , Chinese should be banned from international travel.

    Piyumi Wednesday, 25 March 2020 01:56 AM

    That's why you have to clean the top surface of drink cans before you consume it. When shops and supermarkets are closed at night, mice and rats roam in stores.

    Andrew Sila Wednesday, 25 March 2020 05:18 AM

    When we were children we were told by our parents that rats can cause diseases and to be careful not to go near rats, now we know why. Our parents and grand parents knew lots about diseases and we appreciate their advise for enervation to come.

    K.L Pathirana Wednesday, 25 March 2020 08:24 AM

    Article reads "They can also get HPS from a mouse or rat bite". It is also is important to know but not reported, a mouse or rat bite as a delicatessen eat-in or take out can also spread this virus.

    Prabakaran Francis Xavier Wednesday, 25 March 2020 08:40 AM

    The article doesn't describe about available medication or vaccination. since it was know to the world very long ago. I guess they have known treatment. Please check and published that too. Then only its very much informative. Thanks !

    Hanta Virus Wednesday, 25 March 2020 03:17 PM

    Vijay M - If China is banned from International travel, what happens to the oldest profession in the world.

    vithura Wednesday, 25 March 2020 04:03 PM

    China, a virus paradise like no other!


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