Recently it started spreading on social media that China has experienced a new virus outbreak named as “Hanta Virus”. The internet quickly took the information and began serving it to you without any form of confirmation as memes, jokes, and tweets et cetera et cetera. With the false rumor, about Coronavirus being a biological weapon made by china, lurking in the corners of internet; this new information was like adding fuel to the fire. But the question still remain, is it true? Let’s see some facts you should know about Hantvirus.
What is Hantavirus?
Orthohantavirus, which is commonly known as ‘Hantavirus’ is a family of virus which comes under the order of ‘Bunyavirales’. Rodents are the host of this virus but it doesnt cause any illness in them. It is named after Hantan River situated in South Korea where an outbreak occured initially. It is fatal and has a 38% mortality rate.
Is it a New Virus?
No. The very first outbreak is said to be during the war between USA and South Korea (1950-53). A South Korean virologist named Ho-Wang Lee isolated the Hantavirus from a striped field mice in 1976. So it is not a new virus and it did not originated in China.
How does a human get Infected?
One can get infected if come in contact with saliva, excrete, and urine of infected rodents. Another way is being bitten by an infected rodent.
Does it Spread Among Humans?
Except for one specie of Hantavirus known as ‘Andes Orthohantavirus’, it does not spread among humans. Therefore it is wasy to avoid being infected if we just keep away from rodents and clean our surroundings regularly.
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