Contents
The Chinese newspaper Global Times scared the world with a message about another death – on March 25, a bus passenger died in China. The tragedy occurred in Yunnan province in southwest China. The man appeared to be a migrant worker on his way to work in Shandong Province. Doctors determined that the cause of death was hantavirus.
The media immediately picked up the information and reported that a new killer virus had appeared in China. Actually, nothing new.
The Hantavirus family includes more than 50 species and strains. They have been known for half a century – the type strain was first described in 1978. All these viruses cause two groups of diseases:
1. Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. It is popularly known as “mouse fever”. Distributed in Europe, Asia, including Russia. It is caused by several hantaviruses: Hantaan, Seoul, Dobrava (Belgrade) and Puumala. Mortality – 6 – 15% (average 12%).
2. Pulmonary syndrome (aka cardiopulmonary syndrome). In Russia, few have heard of it, which is not surprising – it is common in North and South America. It is also caused by several hantaviruses: Sin Nombre, Black Creek Canal, Bayou, and New York-1. Mortality from pulmonary syndrome is very high – an average of 36%, but can reach up to 60%.
Both diseases are transmitted to humans from rodents – by direct contact or through their waste products (litter, urine, saliva). Most often, people become infected during the warm season, especially during dry periods.
– Hantavirus also circulates in Russia, at least 8 serotypes are known in Russia, says PhD, virologist Anna Demina. – Every year in our country, an average of 7 people fall ill.
Where can you get hantavirus?
Wherever rodents live, there are mice and voles. But most often:
In the country. As a rule, outbreaks of diseases in Russia occur in the spring, when gardeners come to their plots and begin general cleaning of the house – the virus enters the body with dust particles. You can also get infected through dirty dishes on which mice ran. And through food, for example, if sugar was stored in your country house all winter, and upon arrival you added it to tea.
Warehouses and garages. And also in barns and other premises that are preserved for the winter. Here you can also inhale dust with particles of rodent vital activity.
In the forest or in the field. It is enough to try unwashed berries or leaves. You can also become infected during a picnic if you eat cooked food with unwashed hands.
In most cases, hantaviruses enter the body by inhalation of dust with microparticles of droppings. They can also be transmitted through rodent bites, but rarely.
“And bats are also carriers,” says Anna Demina. – A bite from a bat can also transmit hantavirus.
Hantaviruses are practically not transmitted from person to person. Only a few isolated cases have been recorded when one person transmitted the virus to another – in Argentina and Chile. And this is a pulmonary syndrome. Mouse fever cannot be contracted from humans.
Symptoms of Hantavirus
In the first days of the disease, both syndromes are similar to each other. Differences appear later.
Hemorrhagic fever. It begins in the same way as the flu: the temperature suddenly rises – up to 39 – 40 ° C, there is a headache, body aches, severe thirst and dry mouth. The mucous membranes, neck, upper chest and back may become red. On the shoulders, in the armpits, a rash often appears.
In half of the patients, bradycardia (slow heartbeat) is observed, pressure drops. In 20% of patients, sensitivity decreases. Rarely shock. After the 4th day of illness, kidney failure develops (severe pain in the abdomen and lower back), nasal, gastric and uterine bleeding appears, which is fraught with death.
Some forms of hemorrhagic fever are mild – this course of the disease often occurs in residents of the Scandinavian countries, in Ukraine, Belarus and in the western regions of Russia (the disease is caused by Puumala hantavirus). Severe forms occur in China, Korea, Russia (Hantaan hantavirus) and the Balkans (Dobrava virus).
In mild forms, the infection is often asymptomatic.
The incubation period is about 2 weeks.
Pulmonary Syndrome. It also starts like the flu: a sharp rise in temperature, body aches, headache, nausea and diarrhea. After 2 – 15 days (on average after 4 days), pulmonary edema begins, pressure drops. Mild forms of the disease may occur.
There are cases when patients were diagnosed with both syndromes at once.
Hantavirus treatment
Self-treatment for hantavirus infections is unacceptable! You need to contact a doctor immediately.
Hemorrhagic fever. She is treated with the antiviral drug Ribavirin, which is administered intravenously. In severe cases, hemodialysis may be needed.
Full recovery usually occurs in 3 to 6 weeks. In severe cases, treatment can take up to six months.
Pulmonary Syndrome. There is no specific treatment, only supportive therapy is used. Artificial ventilation may be required.
With a favorable course of the disease, patients begin to recover in a few days, and fully recover after 2-3 weeks. In severe cases, treatment can be long and does not always help – mortality in complications reaches 50%.
Prevention of hantavirus
To avoid contracting hantavirus, it is important to minimize contact with rodents.
- store water and food in the country in closed containers – glass or metal;
- before you start eating, wash your hands thoroughly;
- if the products have been gnawed by mice, in no case do not eat them – you must immediately throw them away;
- outside the city, eat only thermally processed food;
- try not to visit places of accumulation of rodents, especially in areas with an unfavorable situation for hemorrhagic fever;
- destroy rodents in the country – lay out boards with special glue in secluded places or put mousetraps;
- seal all ventilation openings with metal mesh so that rodents cannot enter the room;
- when cleaning a country house, use a vacuum cleaner, clean with a respirator and gloves;
- periodically carry out wet cleaning of the premises;
- ventilate the premises frequently;
- remove debris from the site so that the mice have nowhere to hide.
Specialist commentary
By the way, hantavirus and coronavirus have similar points.
“They are both RNA viruses,” explains virologist Anna Demina. – Both are transmitted by airborne dust, airborne droplets and contact. Bats are involved in the transmission of both viruses. Both develop severe respiratory syndrome. Hantavirus has a higher mortality rate, but fortunately it spreads worse because we have less contact with the source of the infection.