BEVERLY HILLS, March 24, (THEWILL) – While the world is still reeling from the novel deadly Coronavirus, China has reported another outbreak of a deadly disease, Hantavirus.
A report by China’s English tabloid, Global Times, on Monday, revealed that a person from Yunnan Province died while on his way back to Shandong Province for work on a chartered bus. He was tested positive for #hantavirus on Monday and other 32 people on bus were tested.
The death report immediately made rounds on social media and caused a minor panic among netizens.
Orthohantavirus or Hantaviruses are a family of viruses spread mainly by rodents and can cause varied disease syndromes in people worldwide. Infection with any hantavirus can produce hantavirus disease in people.
Hantaviruses in the Americas are known as “New World” hantaviruses and may cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS).
Other hantaviruses, known as “Old World” hantaviruses, are found mostly in Europe and Asia and may cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).
Each hantavirus serotype has a specific rodent host species and is spread to people via inhalation of aerosolized virus that is shed in urine, feces, and saliva, and less frequently by a bite from an infected host.
Specifically, Hantavirus is caused by rodents. Humans who come in contact with rodents are likely to get the virus.
It cannot be passed on from person to person, but a person can get infected if they have touched their eyes, nose or mouth after touching rodent droppings, urine, or nesting materials.
The symptoms are similar to that of COVID-19 which includes fever, headache, abdominal pain among others.
