A new hantavirus has appeared in China: what it is, how it is transmitted, and how dangerous it is

While the whole world is panicking about the coronavirus, China has an update: the hantavirus. “Mandry found out what this new scourge is: we share the most important things.

What happened?

The man, surnamed Tian, was on his way to work in Shandong when he felt unwell and sought medical attention. The Chinese man was taken to the hospital but died there. Doctors determined that the cause of death was the hantavirus. At least 32 people who came into contact with him have been tested for the virus, but there are no results yet.

What is a hantavirus?

This is a type of virus that is characteristic of rodents but does not cause infection in them. That is, they act as carriers. A person can become infected by a rodent bite or contact with its secretions: saliva, urine, and feces.

The hantavirus appeared in 1978 and is now well understood. It was named after the river from which the first mouse with this virus was caught. It cannot be contracted by airborne droplets. The infection is usually spread in warm regions.

 So far, there have been no cases of human-to-human transmission of hantavirus. At the same time, the probability of death is very high: about 40%.

Scientists believe that there is a possibility of contracting this virus if you touch your face with your hands that have previously touched objects contaminated with rodent secretions in some way. There is also a chance of getting infected through food that has somehow come into contact with rodent secretions.

In Ukraine, hantavirus is considered one of the main causative agents of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome.

Symptoms of hantavirus

• Chills;
• Headache;
• Diarrhea and vomiting;
• Fatigue;
• Muscle pain;
• Fever.

In the early stages, patients experience redness of the cheeks, exhaustion and vomiting, and in the later stages – kidney damage, bleeding and fever.

A few numbers

It is rare in temperate countries. For example, in the United States, about 30 cases are recorded annually. In 2017, there was an outbreak of hantavirus in the United States and Canada: 17 people were infected at once. In China, there are 15 thousand to 100 thousand cases per year. Since 2008, vaccination against hantavirus has been available for certain high-risk groups of people in some regions of China.

Precautionary measures

In fact, the practical recommendations are the same as for SARS: it is important to be attentive to personal hygiene, wash your hands, and touch your face as little as possible.