Three more people exposed to hantavirus have tested positive, including an American and a French tourist who had already returned to their home countries. A Spanish national quarantined in Madrid has also now tested positive. So far, three tourists linked to the outbreak have died. An elderly Dutch tourist died aboard the cruise ship on 11 April, while his wife was later found dead in South Africa. On 2 May, a German woman also died on the vessel. All the infected passengers had travelled on the cruise ship MV Hondius, where the virus outbreak was first detected. The ship had docked at Spain’s Canary Islands. According to the World Health Organization(WHO), nine hantavirus cases linked to the ship have been confirmed. The WHO has advised all passengers returning from the vessel to isolate for 42 days. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said human-to-human transmission of hantavirus is rare and that it should not be viewed as a pandemic threat similar to COVID-19. Earlier on Monday, 17 American travellers exposed to the virus were taken to the Nebraska Medical Center for monitoring and a 42-day quarantine period. Symptoms of hantavirus can take up to 8 weeks to appear Hantavirus poses a risk of kidney failure in humans. In many cases, patients experience high fever, body aches, difficulty breathing, and weakness. If the condition worsens, fluid can accumulate in the lungs and there can be a life-threatening risk. Symptoms of hantavirus in humans take 1 to 8 weeks to appear, but after that the patient’s condition deteriorates rapidly. According to WHO, 35-40% of those affected by hantavirus die within 6 weeks. This virus spreads from animals Hantavirus is a dangerous virus that mostly spreads from animals like rats and squirrels. It is found in their feces, urine and saliva. It is named after the “Hantan” river in South Korea. According to WHO, a special strain of hanta virus called “Andes” can also spread from human to human. It can spread through the saliva, sputum of an infected person, eating together or sleeping on the same bed. Those caring for patients are at higher risk. The first case of this virus came to light in US in 1993. At that time an American couple died. Investigation found rat burrows and traces of the virus around their house. According to the United States National Institutes of Health, approximately 1.5 lakh cases of hantavirus are reported worldwide every year, most of which are from Europe and Asia. More than half of these cases are from China. In 2018, at a birthday party in Argentina, this virus spread to 34 people, resulting in the death of 11 people. Hantavirus spreads through close contact with infected person According to authorities, hantavirus does not spread easily. It can only spread through very close contact with a person who is showing symptoms. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) acting director Jay Bhattacharya said that first it will be seen who were the people in close contact with the infected person. Accordingly, they will be placed in low, medium or high risk categories. He said that if a passenger did not have close contact with the infected person, they will be considered low risk. However, this virus does not spread as rapidly as COVID-19. In most cases, it spreads through contact with the feces, urine or saliva of infected rodents. Cases of human-to-human transmission have been very rarely observed. There is currently no treatment for hantavirus There is currently no specific treatment or vaccine available for hantavirus. Doctors treat patients according to their symptoms so that their condition does not worsen further. If the patient has difficulty breathing, they are given oxygen or ventilator support. Medicines and fluids are given to maintain water balance and blood pressure in the body. Doctors say that early detection and timely treatment increase the chances of saving the patient’s life. Therefore, it is essential to go to the hospital immediately if symptoms like fever, breathing difficulties, or weakness appear. Some people may be sent home Health officials said that after initial screening, some travelers may be allowed to go home. However, they will be sent safely so that there is no risk to anyone else on the way. Even after reaching home, the local health department and CDC will continuously monitor them. According to the CDC, monitoring is necessary for up to 42 days after exposure to the virus. If anyone shows fever or other symptoms during this period, they must immediately isolate themselves. Kept in Special Medical Center The Nebraska Medical Center has America’s special National Quarantine Unit. This is America’s only federally funded quarantine facility. The rooms here are equipped with a special negative air pressure system, which prevents the virus from spreading through the air. Officials stated that the travelers were not brought on stretchers. They disembarked from the aircraft themselves, got into vehicles, and went directly to their quarantine rooms. Dr. Michael Wadman explained that the accommodation arrangements here are like a hotel. People will receive food in their rooms, they can do light exercise, and they will be examined daily. If any traveler becomes ill, they will be shifted to the hospital’s biocontainment unit, where dangerous infectious diseases are treated. Cases of Hantavirus have already been witnessed in India In 2007, a 46-year-old man in Andhra Pradesh contracted this infection. According to an article published in Nature Journal, in 2008, 28 people who caught rats and snakes were found infected. The most recent case is from 2016. According to the Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine, a woman died from Hanta virus in Mumbai. The woman experienced severe abdominal pain, fever, and dizziness 8 days after delivery. Blood pressure dropped and breathing difficulties began. She died within 10 days. The virus was confirmed in the postmortem.
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