What Is Hantavirus? All You Need To Know About The Disease And How It Spreads

Medical experts believe that Hantavirus is a disease that affects both the pulmonary region, as well as the kidneys in the long run.

A man from China's Yunnan Province died after being tested positive of Hantavirus. (Representative Image/ Getty)

Hantavirus In China: At a time when the entire world is grappling to over the deadly Coronavirus outbreak that killed over 8,000 people across the globe, reports of other diseases creating havoc have grabbed global attention lately. Several cases of swine flu and bird flu have already been reported in India and other parts of the world. Amidst all these medical pandemic, a Chinese man died after being tested positive for a new kind of virus named the Hantavirus. According to a report by Global Times, a man from China's Yunnan Province died while on his way back to Shandong Province for work on a bus on Monday. What is Hantavirus? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Hantavirus comes from a family of viruses which are spread largely by rodents and can cause varied diseases in people, resulting in possibility of death. Medical experts believe that Hantavirus is a disease that affects both the pulmonary region, as well as the kidneys in the long run. As per several media reports, the name of hantavirus varies depending on the region. While in America, it is known as “New World” hantaviruses, in Europe and Asia, the virus is known as “Old World” hantaviruses. How Hantavirus is transmitted? As per reports, the virus is not transmitted from human to human, but from rodents carrying the virus with humans. To understand it in a better way,  a person who comes in contact with the faeces or urine of a rodent carrying the virus is on a high risk to contract the disease even if he/she is a perfectly healthy individual. Symptoms of Hantavirus It is being said that symptoms of Hantavirus are almost similar to that of the Coronavirus which includes fever, headache, muscle ache, dizziness and abdominal problems, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea. Around 50 per cent of all Hantavirus patients experience these symptoms. Late symptoms include lungs fill with fluid and severe breathing issues. As per medical experts, around 15-20 percent of deer mice are infected with Hantavirus, but it's rare for humans to contract the disease, mostly because the virus dies shortly after contact with sunlight, and it can't spread from one person to another. Each Hantavirus serotype has a specific rodent host species and is spread to people via aerosolized virus that is shed in urine, feces, and saliva, and less frequently by a bite from an infected host. ALSO WATCH | After Coronavirus, Hantavirus Wreaks Havoc In China Anyone who comes into contact with rodents that carry Hantaviruses is at risk of HPS. Rodent infestation in and around the home remains the primary risk for Hantavirus exposure. Even healthy individuals are at risk for HPS infection if exposed to the virus. The CDC has also stated that in Chile and Argentina, rare cases of person-to-person transmission have occurred among close contacts of a person who was ill with a type of Hantavirus called Andes virus.