Panic as man dies from hanta virus in China

BEIJING: While the world is still grappling with the havoc wreaked by the novel coronavirus, another deadly has virus has reportedly erupted in China.

A Chinese daily Global Times has reported that the man has died from the Hantavirus in the Yunnan province while on his way back to Shandong Province for work on a bus on Monday. There were 32 other people on the bus who were also tested for the virus.

Meanwhile, cases of swine flu and avian influenza have also been reported in different parts of the province. This has caused panic as citizens are bracing for the outbreak from another deadly disease which already facing the dreaded coronavirus.

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

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hantaviruses are a family of viruses spread mainly by rodents and can cause varied diseases in people. It can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).

Unlike coronavirus, the disease is not airborne and can only spread to people if they come in contact with urine, feces, and saliva of rodents and less frequently by a bite from an infected host.

This virus also spreads when virus-containing particles are stirred in the air and the infection occurs by breathing virus particles present in the air. Therefore, it is crucial to avoid dusting, brooming and vacuuming a rodent-infested area.

Early symptoms of HPS include fatigue, fever, and muscle aches, along with headaches, dizziness, chills and abdominal problems. If left untreated, it can lead to coughing and shortness of breath and can be fatal, with a mortality rate of 38 percent.

While the initial symptoms of HFRS too remain the same, it can cause low blood pressure, acute shock, vascular leakage, and acute kidney failure. HPS cannot be passed on from person to person, while HFRS transmission between people is extremely rare.

As per the CDC, rodent population control is the primary strategy for preventing hantavirus infections. The incubation period is unknown due to the small number of cases.