Hantavirus outbreak raises alarm: Here’s all you need to know

Although the hantavirus cases have created a global concern, the global health agency said that at this stage the “overall public health risk remains low”.

What is hantavirus? How did the outbreak happen? Here’s all you need to know

1. 01

   What is hantavirus?

   Hantavirus is a family of rodent-borne viruses that has the potential to cause serious illness and death in humans. However, the virus-carrying rats and other rodents do not fall ill to the virus.

   The virus has been named after the Hantan River in South Korea.

2. 02

   How does hantavirus spread?

   Human beings can be infected by hantavirus primarily through contact with the urine, faeces, or saliva of infected rodents or by touching contaminated surfaces. It is also possible to catch the infection by breathing air that contains viral particles stirred up from these droppings, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

   These viruses are generally not known to spread between people, however, some transmission was recorded for the Andes strain, found in Argentina and Chile.

3. 03

   Did hantavirus ever spread in India?

   Yes, sporadic hantavirus cases were recorded in India in the early 2000s. At least 28 cases were reported in a multi-institutional study from 2008 among patients who were suffering from chronic kidney disease, warehouse workers, and those from the Irula tribe in Tamil Nadu who used to catch snakes and rats.

4. 04

   What are the symptoms of hantavirus?

   Symptoms include flu-like conditions within one to eight weeks after exposure to the hantavirus. It may include fatigue, fever, and muscle aches early on.

   As the disease progresses, the affected person may experience respiratory difficulties such as shortness of breath and chest tightness as the lungs fill with fluid.

   It advances in phases, with low blood pressure, renal failure and internal bleeding becoming likely.

5. 05

   Is there a cure for hantavirus yet?

   While there is no known cure or treatment for HPS, early detection and treatment are crucial, and some antivirals do help manage the symptoms.

   Patients with severe breathing difficulties may also need respiratory support like a breathing tube, while dialysis may become necessary as the disease advances.

6. 06

   How to protect oneself against hantavirus?

   People living in hantavirus-prone regions should avoid contact with rodent fluids, droppings and nesting materials.

   Cleaning of areas where rats are known to inhabit is recommended.

7. 07

   How did the outbreak occur in Argentina?

   Experts have attributed the recent outbreak of hantavirus to climate change in Argentina. In recent years, Argentina has endured a historic drought. At the same time, it also had bouts of unexpectedly intense rainfall. This climate variability has created conditions, allowing hantavirus to flourish, according to experts.

   “When precipitation increases, food availability increases, rodent populations grow, and if there are infected rodents, the chance of transmission between rodents — and eventually to humans — also increases,” a genetics professor at the National University of Córdoba and a researcher at state science body CONICET explained, Reuters quoted.

8. 08

   What are the next steps for Argentina?

   One of the crucial next steps for the country is to determine the source of the deadly outbreak.

   The nation, where the cruise to Antarctica departed, has been consistently ranked by the WHO as reporting the highest incidence of the rare, rodent-borne disease in Latin America.

9. 09

   CDC monitoring US travelers on cruise ship

   The United States is closely monitoring the situation with US travelers aboard the luxury cruise ship, the CDC has said, Reuters noted.

   It, however, added that the risk to the American public is extremely low at this time.

10. 10

    What's the plan for people on board the ship?

    After waiting off Cape Verde for three days, the ship is headed to the Canary Islands, where Spain said it would accept it, an AP report stated.

    People on board are from Britain, the United States, Spain, Netherlands, Germany and over a dozen other countries.

    Passengers and crew have been isolated in cabins with “physical distancing,” WHO informed, in a lockdown reminiscent of the COVID-19 pandemic. (AP)