Hantavirus is another deadly virus that has terrified the world like Corona and Ebola. This disease, which mainly spreads from rodents to humans, can cause severe lung damage (Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome – HPS) and kidney disease. Here are the main reasons behind this virus infection, which can be fatal if not treated on time:
Bunyaviridae virus family: Hantavirus disease is caused by hantaviruses belonging to the ‘Bunyaviridae’ family. When these viruses enter the body, they attack and destroy the delicate blood vessels (endothelial cells) in the lungs and other internal organs. This causes severe swelling and fluid retention in the body.
Natural Reservoirs: The main source of this virus in nature are deer mice and cotton rats. Although these mice carry the virus, they do not show symptoms or die. However, the virus is constantly excreted from their bodies.
Aerosol Transmission (airborne): This is the most important way that hantavirus spreads to humans. The urine, droppings, and saliva of infected mice dry up and mix with the ambient air. When humans breathe this air, the virus spores directly reach the lungs and cause the disease. This is more likely to happen when cleaning old houses, wooded areas, and warehouses with rats.
Direct contact and rat bites: The virus can enter the body by touching objects contaminated with rat urine or droppings and then wiping the nose, mouth, and eyes with those hands. In addition, the disease can be spread directly to humans through the bite of infected rats and their saliva.
Human-to-human transmission (rare): Most hantaviruses do not spread from person to person. However, a type of hantavirus called the Andes virus, found in South America, has been found to spread to another person through close contact with an infected person.
