Chinese man dies from hantavirus. Here's all about this virus
What's the story
Even as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc across the globe, with medical experts struggling to create a vaccine for it, newer viruses and diseases are popping up as well. One such virus, called the hantavirus, just claimed a life in China, sending out a new wave of panic among public and raising the headache for medical professionals. Here's all about it.
Details
Man died on a bus, later tested positive for hantavirus
On Monday, a person from Southwest China's Yunnan province died while he was traveling to Shandong province on a chartered bus. The man was later tested positive for hantavirus, China's Global Times reported earlier today. 32 other people, who were on the bus, were also tested for the virus. The news comes at a time when the world is struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Twitter Post
Here is the tweet from Global Times
A person from Yunnan Province died while on his way back to Shandong Province for work on a chartered bus on Monday. He was tested positive for #hantavirus. Other 32 people on bus were tested. pic.twitter.com/SXzBpWmHvW
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) March 24, 2020
What is it?
What exactly is the hantavirus, and how does it spread?
According to CDC, hantaviruses are a family of viruses that spread mainly through rodents. It can lead to varied diseases such as Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) and Haemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS). It is not airborne, and can only spread to humans when a person comes in contact with urine, feces, and saliva of rodents, or rarely, a bite from an infected host.
Symptoms
What are the symptoms of diseases caused by hantavirus?
This implies that unlike the highly-contagious coronavirus, hantaviruses can't spread easily from one person to another. Symptoms of HPS include fatigue, fever, muscle aches, headaches, dizziness, chills and abdominal problems. If left untreated, it may lead to coughing, shortness of breath, or even death. The symptoms of HFRS are also similar. It may lead to low blood-pressure, acute shock, vascular leakage, acute kidney failure.
Information
Meanwhile, COVID-19 has killed 17,000 around the world
Meanwhile, the novel coronavirus, which was first reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan last year, has killed 17,147 around the world and sickened nearly 4 lakh. In fact, several countries have announced full or partial lockdown due to the fast-spreading virus, including India.