{"id":234385,"date":"2026-05-12T04:51:54","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T01:51:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghafla.co.ke\/ke\/?p=234385"},"modified":"2026-05-11T20:54:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T17:54:11","slug":"what-is-hantavirus-and-how-can-it-affect-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghafla.co.ke\/ke\/what-is-hantavirus-and-how-can-it-affect-you\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Hantavirus and how can it affect you?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hantavirus<\/span><\/span> refers to a group of viruses rather than a single illness. The viruses were named after the Hantan River in South Korea and include more than 20 known species, according to the World Health Organization<\/span><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Most hantavirus infections are linked to rodents such as rats and mice, with transmission commonly occurring through exposure to dried urine, saliva, or droppings from infected animals.<\/p>\n

However, one strain known as the Andes virus<\/span><\/span> is believed to spread from person to person in rare cases. South African health authorities recently confirmed the strain in two travellers \u2014 a British man currently hospitalised in Johannesburg and a Dutch woman who later died.<\/p>\n

The Andes virus is mainly found in Argentina<\/span><\/span> and Chile<\/span><\/span>.<\/p>\n

How hantavirus spreads<\/h3>\n

Hantavirus infections usually occur when people come into close contact with infected rodent waste, including urine, droppings, and saliva.<\/p>\n

Transmission often happens when contaminated particles become airborne and are inhaled. This can occur while sweeping or cleaning areas where rodents have been present.<\/p>\n

People can also contract the virus through bites from infected rodents.<\/p>\n

Among the known hantavirus strains, only the Andes virus has shown evidence of limited human-to-human transmission, although such cases are considered extremely rare.<\/p>\n

Where person-to-person spread occurs, it is usually linked to prolonged and close contact with an infected individual showing symptoms.<\/p>\n

According to WHO official Maria van Kerkhove<\/span><\/span>, hantavirus transmission is different from illnesses like flu, which spread through coughing and sneezing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not talking about casual contact from very far away from one another,\u201d she told the BBC.<\/p>\n

Symptoms and severity<\/h3>\n

Hantavirus can lead to two serious illnesses.<\/p>\n

The first is Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome<\/span><\/span> (HPS), which typically begins with symptoms such as fatigue, fever, and muscle pain. Patients may later develop headaches, dizziness, chills, nausea, and abdominal discomfort.<\/p>\n

In severe cases, breathing difficulties can rapidly develop, requiring urgent medical care. The Andes strain is one of the main causes of HPS and carries a mortality rate estimated at between 20 and 40 per cent.<\/p>\n

The disease also has a long incubation period, with symptoms sometimes taking between one and eight weeks to appear.<\/p>\n

The second illness linked to hantavirus is Haemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome<\/span><\/span> (HFRS). It often begins with flu-like symptoms before progressing to complications affecting the kidneys.<\/p>\n

Severe cases may result in low blood pressure, internal bleeding, acute kidney failure, and, in some instances, death.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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