Hantavirus: A total of 17 cases have been reported in Panama in 2022

July 28, 2022

Headlines, Latin America and the Caribbean

2 Comments

A total of 17 hantavirus cases have been reported in the country this 2022, of which 12 suffered from hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome and five are from hantavirus fever, according to a El Siglo report.

The province of Los Santos has the highest rate of confirmed cases, 13 in total, especially among residents of the districts of Tonosí, La Villa de Los Santos and Las Tablas.

The province of Herrera has two confirmed cases, divided into: one case in Pesé and the other, resident in Ocú. Meanwhile, Coclé also with two registered cases, corresponds to 1 case of Natá and Penonomé with 1 case.

One death was reported among the cases.

According to Lourdes Moreno, national head of Epidemiology at Minsa, every 4 to 5 years we have an outbreak of hantavirus, which often coincides with the carnival season, coupled with temperature changes, since the mouse comes out of its burrow and looks for a better habitat.

Moreno recommended people to keep their houses and surroundings clean. Everything that has to do with grain harvesting (rice and corn); keep the premises clean and the interior (stoves and utensils) protected to avoid contact with the feces and urine left by the rodent in the house or surroundings, explained Moreno.

Argentina: Preventing Andes hantavirus outbreaks in the Comarca, Patagonia

“The population is urged to keep the grounds of their residences clean, store grains in tanks that prevent rodents from entering, seal holes that could become burrows, and not throw food in the yards,” she added.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) highlighted that hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome is transmitted by inhalation of saliva, urine or feces of infected rodents.

Symptoms include: fatigue, fever, and muscle aches, especially in the thighs, hips, and back. Headaches, dizziness, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain also occur. Four to 10 days after the initial phase of the disease, symptoms include cough and severe dyspnea, requiring intensive care. It can cause death.