Health Department urges calm after rare Hantavirus case confirmed in South Africa. Years after Covid-19 brought the world to its knees, another rare but potentially deadly virus calledHantavirus is making global headlinesafter a suspected outbreak aboard a cruise ship, where at least three people died. It is worth noting that Hantavirus doesn’t spread the same way respiratory viruses like COVID-19 or influenza do and is generally not contagious between people.
The virus is usually contracted through contact with infected rodents or their droppings, urine, and saliva. Here is everything you need to know about the virus. Hantavirus is a group of viruses carried primarily by rodents and transmitted to humans through contact with their urine, droppings, or saliva, often when contaminated particles are inhaled.
Once inside the body, the virus can trigger two major syndromes: This form attacks the lungs. It typically begins with flu-like symptoms such as fever, fatigue and muscle aches, before rapidly progressing to coughing, shortness of breath and fluid buildup in the lungs. Severe cases can lead to respiratory failure, with a fatality rate of roughly 35% to 40%.
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More common in Europe and Asia, this form affects the kidneys, causing internal bleeding, low blood pressure and acute kidney failure. Fatality rates vary but can reach up to 15% depending on the strain. The virus has an incubation period of one to eight weeks, making early detection difficult.
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