After recent events involving a Chinese man dying of hantavirus, a viral infection acquired from rats, people have begun to panic and thinking a new pandemic might be on the rise, especially now that the coronavirus outbreak is still claiming thousands of lives.
A New Hantavirus Case Emerges
TechTimes has recently reported the case of an unknown Yunan man who died on a bus on the way to his work due to hantavirus, and 32 people who were in contact with him on the bus had to be tested as a precautionary measure.
The hashtag #hantavirus became viral quickly, and people were spent in a panic, fearing that another viral outbreak could happen amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Is a Hantavirus Pandemic Going to Happen?
But should we be afraid?
According to experts, a Hantavirus pandemic is unlikely to happen, and that's because it rarely passes from one human to another, unlike the new coronavirus disease or COVID-19, which is highly contagious.
Additionally, the New York Post also reported that the hantavirus is not new, but cases are rare.
Based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hantavirus could only be acquired by humans who have close contact with rat saliva, droppings, and urine, and that the hantavirus that causes illness in the United States can't be transmitted person to person.
A person can also contract the viral infection when they are bitten by an infected host, although it happens less than contracting the disease by inhaling contaminated air.
Not all kinds of rats carry the virus as there are only certain types that are virus carriers in the U.S., specifically cotton rats, deer mice, rice rats, and white-footed mice.
Nevertheless, there have been rare cases in both Chile and Argentina when patients with a type of hantavirus known as the Andes virus come in contact with another person and transmits the virus.
Hantavirus Outbreaks vs. Coronavirus Outbreaks
There are also two known hantavirus outbreaks reported by the CDC.
The first one was in August 2012, where 10 people were confirmed of contracting the virus after visiting the Yosemite National Park, and the second and last one was in January 2017 when 17 people were infected in seven states in Seoul.
Compared to the number of cases during the COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. and South Korea, the number of confirmed cases during both hantavirus outbreaks were significantly less.
What Happens When You Contract Hantavirus?
In a report by USA Today, the viral infection in the U.S. could cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which is a severe respiratory disease that could be fatal.
Symptoms include fever, fatigue, abdominal problems, headaches, muscle aches, chills, and dizziness. As the patient's situation worsens, they would experience difficulty in breathing and coughing due to liquid filling the lungs.
From 1993 to 2017, there have only been 728 confirmed hantavirus cases in the U.S.
Meanwhile, hantavirus cases in Europe and Asia could cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, with symptoms like chills, fever, nausea, pain, blurred visions, and in the worst cases, acute kidney failure.
Given that the hantavirus is rarely transmitted from one person to another, a hantavirus pandemic is incredibly unlikely.
