Let's talk about Hantavirus and what you need to know.... - Belle of the Ranch

[TexasTowelie]

Well, howdy there Internet people. It's Belle again. So, today we're going to talk about Hantavirus and what you need to know.

Everybody who has ever played San Andreas is picturing the same little alleyway off Grove Street right now. Here we go again.

So, let's go through why we're talking about this and then we'll get to what you need to know. Passengers on a cruise ship came down with Hantavirus. There's a widespread belief at this point that it's the Andes species of the Hantavirus, but that doesn't appear totally confirmed yet, but based on the information available, it's a pretty safe bet that's what it is.

At least three passengers died and many others were sickened on board the Dutch-flagged ship. Outbreaks occur on cruise ships for a bunch of reasons and they generally stay confined to the ship. Initially, there wasn't much of a risk for people off the ship, but now there's a wrinkle. Dutch officials have confirmed that multiple people left the ship. One woman accompanied the remains of her husband after getting off the ship in St. Helena. She then flew to South Africa where she collapsed at the airport and died. It looks like 40 other people left the ship in St. Helena.

Okay, so let's talk about Hantavirus generally and then specifically Andes virus. Hantaviruses are normally found in rodents. It can be transmitted to humans via aerosols or droplets that contain rodent liquids or solid waste. Food contamination is a common method. You can also get it through bites and scratches.

The viruses can cause two diseases HFRS which is Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome and HPS which is Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome. Generally speaking, those called Old World viruses cause HFRS and those called New World cause HPS.

Onto the Andes virus specifically. It's a New World Hantavirus. So we're looking at Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome. The early phase of HPS is kind of flu-like fever, aches, headache, dizziness, nausea, and shortness of breath. Your platelet count drops. This part isn't so bad.

But then the second phase starts. It's called the cardiopulmonary phase. Your heart rate becomes elevated or irregular. You have cardiogenic shock. That's where the heart doesn't pump enough blood. and pulmonary capillary leakage which can lead to respiratory failure. You can have low blood pressure and buildup of fluid in the lungs and chest cavity. Sometimes you can even end up with renal symptoms typically associated with HFRS.

Okay. Then for somewhere between 40 to 70% of people there's a third phase called recovery. Your body is healing from it. Lingering symptoms like trouble breathing can last years at times, but sometimes only a few months. What about the 30 to 60% that didn't enter the recovery phase? It's because they never made it out of the cardiopulmonary phase. This disease has a high fatality rate. With the Andes virus specifically, it's about 40%. And it normally comes on suddenly during the second phase. Ande's virus is transmittable from human to human.

Now that I've totally scared you, here's the thing. It's spread through respiratory droplets which are created when someone coughs, sneezes, or talks. And it can be spread through intimate contact through saliva exchange, but this is not corona virus or influenza.

The R factor, the ease of spread, is a fraction of corona virus. Symptoms can take a while to appear. The WHO says up to 42 days after exposure. They also say that you're normally only infectious when you're showing symptoms. Prevention is pretty simple and should be familiar. Wash your hands. Keep your distance. Avoid intimate contact. Don't share drinks, utensils, or anything else you put in your mouth.

There's no antiviral or vaccine, so prevention matters. Early treatment is critically important. In the unlikely event you think you've got it, don't wait. This doesn't spread easily, but it's worth knowing about.

Anyway, it's just a thought. Y'all have a good day.