By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

The Taiwan CDC reported this week on an additional Hantavirus hemorrhagic fever case, the fourth of 2020.

Taiwan map/CIA

The patient is a male in his 40s  who has no travel history. The patient presented with fever, diarrhea, and body aches and other symptoms on April 10th. The symptoms did not improve and he was admitted to hospital.

Hantavirus was confirmed this week.

The patient reported seeing rats, the carriers of the virus, at his workplace but said he had not been bitten.

According to the statistics of the past years, there have been 4 cases of Hantavirus hemorrhagic fever in China this year, slightly higher than the same period from 2016 to 2019 (respectively 3, 0, 1, 0 cases).

The CDC stated that Hantavirus haemorrhagic fever is an infectious disease common to humans and animals. Humans are at risk of infection if they inhale or come into contact with dust, objects contaminated with rat dung and urine that carry Hantavirus, or are bitten by virus-carrying rodents. The incubation period of Hantavirus hemorrhagic fever is several days to two months. The main symptoms of infection are sudden and persistent fever, conjunctival hyperemia, weakness, back pain, headache, abdominal pain, anorexia, vomiting, etc. The bleeding symptoms appear on the 3rd to 6th days. Subsequent proteinuria, hypotension, or oliguria, some patients will have shock or mild renal disease, and may progress to acute renal failure, the condition can be improved after treatment.

The CDC called for the implementation of the three measures of “no rats come, no rats live, no rats eat” as the most effective way to prevent Hantavirus. People should clean up the environment at all times, especially warehouses, storage rooms, etc. A space where mice easily hide. If you find rodent feces, you should wear a mask, rubber gloves and open the door and window, and splash it with a diluted bleach (100cc commercial bleach + 1 liter of clean water) in a potentially contaminated environment. Wait 30 minutes after disinfection OK clean up.