The World Health Organization (WHO) has released some information about Hantavirus and how it transmits to humans from infected rodents.
This is coming after the World Health Governing Body released an infection alert on the virus some days ago. The alert revealed, three (3) have already been confirmed dead.
What you need to know about Hantavirus according to WHO (who.int):
Key Facts
• Hantaviruses are a group of viruses carried by rodents that can cause severe disease in humans.
• People usually get infected through contact with infected rodents or their urine, droppings or saliva.
• Infection with hantaviruses can cause a range of illnesses, including severe disease and death.
• In the Americas, hantaviruses can cause hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS), a severe respiratory illness, with a case fatality rate up to 50%.
• Andes virus, found in South America, is a currently known hantavirus for which limited human‑to‑human transmission among contacts has been documented.
• In Europe and Asia, hantaviruses cause haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).
Overview
Hantaviruses are zoonotic viruses that naturally infect rodents and are occasionally transmitted to humans. Infection in people can result in severe illness and often death, although the diseases vary by type of virus and geographical location.
While there is no specific treatment that cures hantavirus diseases, early supportive medical care is key to improve survival and focuses on close clinical monitoring and management of respiratory, cardiac and kidney complications.
Transmission
Transmission of hantaviruses to humans occurs from contact with contaminated urine, droppings or saliva of infected rodents. Infection may also occur, although less commonly, through rodent bites.
Activities that involve contact with rodents such as cleaning enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces, farming, forestry work and sleeping in rodent-infested dwellings increase exposure risk.
Symptoms
In humans, symptoms usually begin between one and eight weeks after exposure, depending on the type of virus, and typically include fever, headache, muscle aches and gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting.
Treatment
There is no licenced specific antiviral treatment or vaccine for hantavirus infection. Care is supportive and focuses on close clinical monitoring and management of respiratory, cardiac and kidney complications.
Prevention
• keeping homes and workplaces clean
• sealing openings that allow rodents to enter buildings
• storing food securely
• using safe cleaning practices in areas contaminated by rodents
• avoiding dry sweeping or vacuuming rodent droppings
