INTRODUCTION:

Hanta virus is not a new virus but it has been around for several years now. It is not a communicable virus and doesn’t get transmitted from human to human. This virus usually only infects rodents and human beings can get infected if they come in contact with rodent urine, feces or saliva. Hantaviruses are a family of viruses spread mainly by rodents and can cause varied disease syndromes in people worldwide. Infection with any hanta virus can produce hanta virus disease in people. Hantaviruses in the Americas are known as “New World” hanta viruses and may cause hanta virus pulmonary syndrome (HPS).

Other hanta viruses, known as “Old World” hanta viruses, are found mostly in Europe and Asia and may cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). Each hanta virus serotype has a specific rodent host species and is spread to people via aerosolized virus that is shed in urine, feces, and saliva, and less frequently by a bite from an infected host. The most important hanta virus in the United States that can cause HPS is the Sin Nombre virus, spread by the deer mouse¹. The corona virus is a family of viruses that can cause a range of illness in humans including common cold and more severe forms like SARS and MERS which are life-threatening. The virus is named after its shape which takes the form of a crown with protrusions around it and hence is known as corona virus. Corona virus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered corona virus. Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, The most common cause of COVID-19 and H1N1¹ viruse to death from the virus is respiratory failure, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness. The best way to prevent and slow down transmission is be well informed about the COVID-19 virus², the disease it causes and how it spreads. Protect yourself and others from infection by washing your hands or using an alcohol based rub frequently and not touching your face. The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it’s important that you also practice respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow). At this time, there are no specific vaccines or treatments for COVID-19. However, there are many ongoing clinical trials evaluating potential treatments³.

Corona virus:

The corona virus is a family of viruses that can cause a range of illness in humans including common cold and more severe forms like SARS and MERS which are life-threatening. The virus is named after its shape which takes the form of a crown with protrusions around it and hence is known as corona virus. Corona virus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered corona virus.

Fig no 1. Corona virus disease

Prevention:

To prevent infection and to slow transmission of COVID-19, do the following:

· Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, or clean them with alcohol-based hand rub.

· Maintain at least 1 meter distance between you and people coughing or sneezing.

· Avoid touching your face.

· Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.

· Stay home if you feel unwell.

· Refrain from smoking and other activities that weaken the lungs.

· Practice physical distancing by avoiding unnecessary travel and staying away from large groups of people.

Symptoms:

The COVID-19 virus affects different people in different ways. COVID-19 is a respiratory disease and most infected people will develop mild to moderate symptoms and recover without requiring special treatment. People who have underlying medical conditions and those over 60 years old have a higher risk of developing severe disease and death.

Common symptoms include:

· Fever

· Tiredness

· Dry cough.

Other symptoms include:

· Shortness of breath

· Aches and pains

· Sore throat

· And very few people will report diarrhea, nausea or a runny nose.

People with mild symptoms who are otherwise healthy should self-isolate and contact their medical provider or a COVID-19 information line for advice on testing and referral. People with fever, cough or difficulty breathing should call their doctor and seek medical attention.

Hanta virus:

Fig no 2. Hanta virus disease

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS):

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a severe, sometimes fatal, respiratory disease in humans caused by infection with hanta viruses. Anyone who comes into contact with rodents that carry hanta viruses is at risk of HPS. Rodent infestation in and around the home remains the primary risk for hanta virus exposure. Even healthy individuals are at risk for HPS infection if exposed to the virus. To date, no cases of HPS have been reported in the United States in which the virus was transmitted from one person to another. In fact, in a study of health care workers who were exposed to either patients or specimens infected with related types of hanta viruses (which cause a different disease in humans), none of the workers showed evidence of infection or illness. In Chile and Argentina, rare cases of person-to-person transmission have occurred among close contacts of a person who was ill with a type of hanta virus called Andes virus.

Transmission:

How People Become Infected with Hantaviruses:

In the United States, deer mice (along with cotton rats and rice rats in the southeastern states and the white-footed mouse in the Northeast) are reservoirs of the hantaviruses. The rodents shed the virus in their urine, droppings, and saliva. The virus is mainly transmitted to people when they breathe in air contaminated with the virus. When fresh rodent urine, droppings, or nesting materials are stirred up, tiny droplets containing the virus get into the air. This process is known as “airborne transmission“.

There are several other ways rodents may spread hanta virus to people:

· If a rodent with the virus bites someone, the virus may be spread to that person, but this type of transmission is rare.

· Scientists believe that people may be able to get the virus if they touch something that has been contaminated with rodent urine, droppings, or saliva, and then touch their nose or mouth.

· Scientists also suspect people can become sick if they eat food contaminated by urine, droppings, or saliva from an infected rodent.

The hanta viruses that cause human illness in the United States cannot be transmitted from one person to another. For example, you cannot get these viruses from touching or kissing a person who has HPS or from a health care worker who has treated someone with the disease.

Signs and Symptoms:

Due to the small number of HPS cases, the “incubation time” is not positively known. However, on the basis of limited information, it appears that symptoms may develop between 1 and 8 weeks after exposure to fresh urine, droppings, or saliva of infected rodents.

Early Symptoms:

Early symptoms include fatigue, fever and muscle aches, especially in the large muscle groups—thighs, hips, back, and sometimes shoulders. These symptoms are universal. There may also be headaches, dizziness, chills, and abdominal problems, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. About half of all HPS patients experience these symptoms.

Late Symptoms:

Four to 10 days after the initial phase of illness, the late symptoms of HPS appear. These include coughing and shortness of breath, with the sensation of, as one survivor put it, a “…tight band around my chest and a pillow over my face” as the lungs fill with fluid.

Is the Disease Fatal?

Yes. HPS can be fatal. It has a mortality rate of 38%.

Diagnosis and treatment:

Diagnosing HPS:

Diagnosing HPS in an individual who has only been infected a few days is difficult, because early symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, and fatigue are easily confused with influenza. However, if the individual is experiencing fever and fatigue and has a history of potential rural rodent exposure, together with shortness of breath, would be strongly suggestive of HPS. If the individual is experiencing these symptoms they should see their physician immediately and mention their potential rodent exposure.

Are there any complications?

Previous observations of patients that develop HPS from New World Hantaviruses recover completely. No chronic infection has been detected in humans. Some patients have experienced longer than expected recovery times, but the virus has not been shown to leave lasting effects on the patient.

Treating HPS:

There is no specific treatment, cure, or vaccine for hantavirus infection. However, we do know that if infected individuals are recognized early and receive medical care in an intensive care unit, they may do better. In intensive care, patients are intubated and given oxygen therapy to help them through the period of severe respiratory distress.The earlier the patient is brought in to intensive care, the better. If a patient is experiencing full distress, it is less likely the treatment will be effective. Therefore, if you have been around rodents and have symptoms of fever, deep muscle aches, and severe shortness of breath, see your doctor immediately. Be sure to tell your doctor that you have been around rodents—this will alert your physician to look closely for any rodent-carried disease, such as HPS.

Prevention:

Eliminate or minimize contact with rodents in your home, workplace, or campsite. If rodents don’t find that where you are is a good place for them to be, then you’re less likely to come into contact with them. Seal up holes and gaps in your home or garage. Place traps in and around your home to decrease rodent infestation. Clean up any easy-to-get food. Recent research results show that many people who became ill with HPS developed the disease after having been in frequent contact with rodents and/or their droppings around a home or a workplace. On the other hand, many people who became ill reported that they had not seen rodents or rodent droppings at all. Therefore, if you live in an area where the carrier rodents are known to live, try to keep your home, vacation place, workplace, or campsite clean.

Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS):

What is hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome?

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a group of clinically similar illnesses caused by hanta viruses from the family Bunyaviridae. HFRS includes diseases such as Korean hemorrhagic fever, epidemic hemorrhagic fever, and nephropathies epidemic. The viruses that cause HFRS include Hantan, Dobrava, Saaremaa, Seoul, and Puumala⁴.

How dangerous is it compared to the corona virus?

Hantaviruses are a different family of viruses to corona viruses and have some crucial differences. The main difference is that hanta virus is spread via very specific rodents and is very rarely transmitted human to human unlike the corona virus which is highly contagious. There have been no recorded cases of human to human transmission in the US, according to the centre for disease control and prevention (CDC) hanta virus is instead contracted via urine, feces, saliva, and bites from and infected species. The CDC notes on its website that in the US the most common cause of hanta virus is from deer mice. Early symptoms of the virus include fatigue, fever, muscle cramps, and some time headache, dizziness, chills or stomach problems, according to the CDC. Hanta virus is fetal, with a mortality rate of 38% - far higher than corona virus. It was first observed in 1993 when the disease caused the Four Corners outbreak in North America. Meanwhile, the corona virus pandemic has infected over 400,000 people, with nearly 19,000 dead⁵.

How The Two Viruses Are Different From Each Other:

Here is how Hanta virus is different from corona virus.

The times we live in are riddled with all sorts of news – the good, the bad and the fake. It becomes imperative, then, to not immediately believe anything we read. Take a breather, look at the cold, hard scientific facts that are available and then take the next step. A routine that most definitely needs to be applied in this current corona virus pandemic situation, now that there is news of a death in china from what we know as hanta virus. If you were to login on twitter, # Hantavirus is one of the top trends, garnering enough attention to make it look like it’s the next COVID-19. But here’s where that public service announcement (PSA) about not panicking comes into effect. Let’s take a look at the facts.

Why is everyone talking about Hanta virus?

This began happening after earlier today, Global Times, one of china’s national daily newspaper, reported the date of a man in YUNNAN province, who tested positive for hanta virus. The man was reportedly commuting back home on a character bus with 32 others, all of whom were tested right away and declared negative for the virus.

How is Hanta virus different from corona virus?

One of the basic similarities between corona virus and hanta virus is that they're both not airborne diseases. This also leads to the biggest difference between the two- corona virus has a human host, which can transmit the infection through droplets that may be released when the host sneezes or coughs. However, in hanta virus there is no human to human transmission. As long as out rodents problem is under control, no, we need not panic. Hanta virus is not likely to turn into another corona virus pandemic that will keep you quarantined in your home again. It would be prudent to go to useful resources like official government website or World Health Organization (WHO) websites to read up on the hanta virus before you begin spreading any fake rumors that might induce panic or spew unwarranted hate towards china. So, people, relax one virus at a time, okay? For now, let’s just stay home, wash our hand and not pet any rats⁶!

Symptoms:

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hanta virus can cause Hanta virus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) and Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS). The primary symptom is difficulty in breathing, which is caused by fluid build-up in the lungs, and which quickly progresses to an inability to breathe. The symptoms of HPS usually appear within 2-4 weeks of exposure but it can appear as early as 1 week or as late as 6 weeks after infection. There has not been any specific cure for hanta virus infection but if the disease is recognized at the early stage, the patient can get better by receiving medical care in an intensive care unit (ICU). However, the novel corona virus is a new strain in the large family of corona viruses (COV) which waspreviously not identified in humans. The virus causes COVID-19 with symptoms of dry cough, high fever, joint pain and other respiratory issues. The major difference between hanta virus and corona virus is that the former causes no human to human transmission unlike the latter.

Incubation period and cure:-

The symptoms of HPS usually appear within 2-4 weeks of exposure but it can appear as early as 1 week or as late as 6 weeks after infection. There has not been any specific cure for hantavirus infection but if the disease is recognized at the early stage, the patient can get better by receiving medical care in an intensive care unit (ICU). On the other hand, the symptoms of corona virus appear within 2 to 14 days and no specific cure has been found for the disease. However, doctors are using a combination of drugs and there has been anecdotal evidence to cure the COVID-19 patients using such combination. The mortality rate of hanta virus pulmonary syndrome is 36 per cent and the transmission risk of the disease is negligible. In the case of corona virus, the mortality rate of the virus is comparatively very low, around 2 per cent, but the virus is highly contagious.

The Hantavirus is more dangerous Than Novel Corona virus?

Now, even though the mortality rate of hanta virus is much more than corona virus, it is still less likely to transmit in the human population, the way COVID-19 has. Corona virus is more frightening as its transmission is quite easy and one can get infected directly or indirectly touching the infected person. On the other hand, hanta virus is much likely to transmit in the human population as one can reportedly get infected if they touch the urine, droplets, or saliva of an infected rodent and then touch mouth, nose or eyes. As per reports, the deer mouse is the primary carrier of the virus but health experts suggest avoiding all wild rodents since the identification of types of mice is difficult. It is unlike corona virus as no human to human transmission of hanta virus has been reported. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the virus causes Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) which is a serious respiratory disease and often deadly⁷.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT:

Authors are highly Acknowledge the help of teaching staff of Rajarambapu College of Pharmacy, Kasegaon. For providing necessary information required for research work. Also we are highly Acknowledge the help and guidance of Prof. P. P. Honmane.

REFERENCE:

1. MD Kengar, AA Jadhav, RP Jadhav, PL Jarag, SD Shete, Swine Flu and its Recent Medicines. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis. 9 (1), 30-36.

2. Manohar D Kengar, Amol A. Patil, Sachin S. Navale, Rupali R. Kandgave, Sujit A Waghmare, Suhas A. Mane, Dnyaneshwar M Niramale, Introduction to Corona Virus and Diagnosis, Symptoms and Management, Shodhshauryam. International Scientific Refereed Research Journal. 2020, 3(1): 67-70

3. https://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/index.html

4. https://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/hps/index.html

5. https://English.alarabiya.net/en/features/2020/03/25/what-is-hantavirus-and-how-dangerous-is-it-compared-to-the-coronavirus-

6. https://bloncampus.thehindubusinessline.com/b-learn/from-around-the-web/here-is-how-hantavirus-is-different-from-coronavirus/articl31161751.ece/amp/

7. https://www.republicworld.com/amp/world-news/rest-of-the-world-news/hantavirus-and-coronavirus-how-the-two-viruses-are-different.html

Received on 19.04.2020 Modified on 09.05.2020

Asian J. Res. Pharm. Sci. 2020; 10(3):178-182.

DOI: 10.5958/2231-5659.2020.00034.X