A man in China's Yunnan Province who died in
late March tested positive for hantavirus, prompting Chinese authorities to
test 32 people who shared a bus with the man.
This has provoked new interest in hantavirus,
along with concerns of outbreak in the context of the ongoing COVID-19
pandemic.
What Is
Hantavirus?
Although it typically cannot spread from
person to person, hantavirus cases can be deadly serious. According to the CDC,
hantavirus infections have a mortality rate of about 38%.
Fortunately, they are also rare.
According to Dr. Davis, only about 800 people
in the US have ever been affected by hantavirus as of 2017.
In China, hantavirus infections are more
common than in the US, but still rare. Virologist and hantavirus specialist
Colleen B. Jonsson, PhD, writes that newly identified hantaviruses have shown
that about 75,000 people in China come down with serious hantavirus
complications every year. This qualifies under the NIH's definition as a rare
disease.
Is a
Hantavirus Pandemic Possible?
Unlike COVID-19, the hantavirus cannot spread
from person to person. This makes it very difficult to spread the virus far
from the point of an original infection.
Instead of human spread, rodents are the main
culprits in these cases, explains MedicineNet medical author Charles Patrick
Davis, MD, PhD.
"Hantaviruses live their lifecycle in
rodents but apparently do no harm; the viruses multiply and shed in the
rodent's urine, feces, and saliva," he said.
There have possibly been a few rare
exceptions to this rule in South America. Dr. Davis said there have been
"a rare few patients who investigators considered to have exhibited
person-to-person transfer with a type of hanta virus termed Andes virus."
How Else Is
Hantavirus Different in the US and China?
Hantavirus types differ in different regions
of the world. Dr. Davis said these RNA-containing viruses cause different
serious symptoms in the Americas as compared to the rest of the world.
Hantavirus outbreaks in the US cause different serious symptoms from those in
Europe and Asia.
In the Americas, serious hantavirus
infections usually take the form of HPS, a severe respiratory infection.
"HPS is found mainly in the Americas
(Canada, U.S., Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Panama, and others)," Dr. Davis
said.
However, in Russia, China, Korea, Western
Europe and elsewhere, serious infections develop into HFRS (hemorrhagic fever
with renal syndrome), he said.
"The main difference is that the
predominant symptoms in the late stages of disease vary somewhat between the
two diseases (lung fluid and shortness of breath in HPS and low blood pressure,
fever, and kidney failure in HFRS)," Davis said. "The vast majority
of HPS and HFRS infections do not transfer from person to person."
Is There a
Hantavirus Treatment or Vaccine?
No.
"At this time, there is no definitive treatment for HPS, other than early recognition of HPS and subsequent medical support," Dr. Davis said. "There is no vaccine available to protect against any hantaviruses to date."
How to Prevent Hantavirus
Because there is no vaccine, the best way to
prevent hantavirus is to avoid close contact with rodents, said Dr. Davis.
He recommends sealing up gaps and holes,
placing traps, and keeping areas as clean and food-free as possible.
One common cleaning chore should be avoided,
though.
"Do
not attempt to use a vacuum or use a broom to remove rodent urine or feces;
this action may increase the risk of HPS by generating an aerosol," David
warned. "The risk of HPS can be reduced by inactivating hantaviruses in
the environment by using a household detergent and 1.5 cups of bleach per
gallon of water to wipe or spray the potentially infected area and while
minimizing contact by wearing gloves and a mask. Take similar precautions with
rodents caught in traps."
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