Recent reports of a hantavirus incident on a cruise ship have led to public comparisons with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Dr. Puneet Misra, Professor of Community Medicine at AIIMS Delhi, has provided crucial clarification, emphasizing that hantavirus transmission and nature are fundamentally different from the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Understanding Hantavirus Transmission and Origin
Dr. Misra explained that hantavirus is a viral disease caused by a group of viruses discovered in the 1950s in South Korea. Unlike COVID-19, which was a novel respiratory virus with efficient human-to-human transmission, hantavirus primarily spreads from rodents to humans. "COVID was a new virus. We did not know anything about COVID. The mode of transmission was through the respiratory route. But the hantavirus spreads through rodents, rats, mice, their faeces, their droppings," Misra stated.
While rare instances of human-to-human transmission have been reported with one specific strain, the Andes virus, this is not the typical mode of spread. The primary risk occurs when individuals come into contact with rodent-infested areas or their droppings.
Symptoms and Global Impact
Symptoms of hantavirus infection can include fatigue, fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain, along with muscular and joint pain. Depending on the specific hantavirus strain, patients may also develop pulmonary (lung-related) or kidney-related symptoms.
Globally, hantavirus infections are considered relatively uncommon by the World Health Organization (WHO). It's estimated that 10,000 to 100,000 infections occur annually, with the highest burden observed in Asia and Europe. Case fatality rates vary significantly, ranging from 1-15% in Asia and Europe, and up to 50% in the Americas.
No Pandemic Threat to India
Addressing concerns about a potential outbreak in India, Dr. Misra reassured the public that a hantavirus epidemic or pandemic threat in the country is highly unlikely. He urged against panic and misinformation, stressing the importance of accurate information from reliable sources to ensure public awareness without inciting undue fear.
"There is no pandemic threat, there is no epidemic threat…there is no need for panic," Dr. Misra affirmed, encouraging media to disseminate correct information to empower informed decision-making.