Hantavirus: Is It More Dangerous Then Coronavirus?
As the world is suffering from the global threat of COVID-19 caused by the coronavirus, there has been the identification of an outbreak of another deadly virus in the province of Yunan in China. This is a deadly virus too that is spread by the consumption of rodents or through the interaction of humans with them. This is the virus called the Hantavirus and it belongs to the family of single strained viruses that have negatively sensed RNA structure.
This virus was found in China to be causing infection among the rodents and when such infected rodents come into interaction with the humans, there is the transmission of the virus called the Hanta Virus.
There are no such symptoms that make it sure that the person suffers from this as there is also an incubation period associated with it. This virus belongs to the chain of ortho hantavirus that was particular in the Middle East and European countries
. But as of the present conditions, there was a death associated with the spread of Hantavirus in China and people there are again under threat of this virus as they have recently gotten over COVID-19.
This virus has become a threat to the human race as it has no specific origin as the rodent must be infected by this for the transfer of the virus to humans. Then the incubation period also stays as a problem for the humans as the people can never know for sure if the person is affected by it until the person shows symptoms. This is therefore also important to know about the Hantavirus and be cautious about it.
The Chinese govt. has started to take important actions against the virus prevention and now doctors there have been testing the suspects for it. They are also trying to find a cure for this virus as it belongs to one such family of viruses that have been identified in the past.
As it has human to human transmission possible through genetic material, then it can be prevented by maintaining proper social distance. The symptoms of this virus are chronic fever and also a chain of renal diseases.
Therefore the people must tend to get attentive over this breed of virus too before it spreads all over the country as the coronavirus did. Chinese govt is under pressure to stop the spread of it and has been trying its best for the motive.
Hantavirus Signs and Symptoms
Hantavirus is the virus that tends to have incubation around 14 to28 days and therefore one can never be sure that the person they are talking to is affected by it or not until the person shows some symptoms. Since one death has been reported by this deadly virus there is a strain of stress over people about the spread of this virus too around the globe.
The symptoms of this virus are that the person suffers from severe fever after the incubation period is over and then the sufferer starts to have body ache along with forms of renal diseases. This, therefore, makes the person infected to have weaker immunity too.
The symptoms of this virus also resemble that of flu and thus it is also impossible for people to detect if they are suffering from the virus or not. The doctors in the Chinese province have declared hazards for this virus too and thus they are trying their best to stop the spread of this deadly virus.
People infected from this virus may show syndrome symptoms like fever, cough, muscle pain, etc. These symptoms tend to be heightened as the virus is not treated and there has been reported one death due to the hantavirus.
This virus has been identified as a member of the ‘Four Corner’ viruses. The first attack of the members of this virus family was first reported in the Southwestern United States. This was in four corner states of the US and thus was given its name.
Hantavirus has its major carrier as the deer mice which are consumed by the people of China and thus they have started to be affected by this virus particularly. The symptoms of this virus are fatal and need immediate ventilation too.
Hantavirus Life Cycle
This virus is inactive until it receives a host body in the deer mouse. Then it survives over the nutrition of the mouse and causes infection in the mouse. If such a mouse is interacted with humans through genetic material either through consumption or any other method, then the virus enters the human body.
Hantavirus gets attached to the neural receptors and the divides into multiple copies of itself. These virus bodies then get attached to the cells and kill the cells of the particular target site which is mainly the trachea and the lungs.
Therefore it starts to make the normal transfer and exchange of gases in the body to be difficult resulting in fever, muscle pain, lethargy, headache, etc. Thus the virus tends to take its nutrition from the host body and has no such remedy available for it as of yet. Therefore the life cycle of this virus is mainly dependent on the host body.
Hantavirus Prevention and Vaccination
As of warning issued by the doctors all around China, the only way to prevent people from this deadly virus is through the least interaction between humans and rodents. Hantavirus is transmitted through rodent genetic material and thus when interacting with such rodents, one must wash hands after the work is done.
Rodent consumption must be stopped to stop the possible spread of this virus in humans and people suffering from it must be taken into quarantine for stopping the spread. There has been no identical vaccine for the cure of this virus and thus people affected are treated based on the symptoms that they show.
The use of one drug called Ribavirin is made against the virus. It has been effective to help the affected person heal as in the history people suffering four corner virus diseases were cured through it. Proper oxygen supply and ventilation are given to the patient in the hospital with the least human interaction. Thus Hantavirus is a deadly virus of unknown vaccine and must be stopped from spreading.
