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Hantavirus: Any Need to Panic?

Minerva Garcia, Microbiologist

Minerva A. Garcia, MLS, MT (ASCP), MS

Hantavirus should we panic?
Hantavirus any need to panic?
Hantavirus can it spray like CoVid, FLU or RSV?
What is Hantavirus?

Hantavirus belongs to the family Hantaviridae
With the Oder Bunyaviruses …It is NEG-Sensed, Single-stranded RNA viruses, main disease “Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS)

Mostly found in the Americas with +cases by the
Mississippi River, Asia & Europe …
If there’s any cure however, supportive care
with management is recommended with oxygen

Regimen with breathing tubes and blood Pressure monitoring for best chance survival
So guess what? It’s a serous virus …
Since, survival rate is poor … therefore,

It is important to keep away from infected
Individuals rats, and mice dropping
In order to avoid the disease …
Yea, in order to avoid the disease

Symptoms can be Flu-like …
Fever, chills, fatigue, muscle aches
Respiratory complications
Short breaths, headaches, low BP

And, possible …
Respiratory failure with …
Severe abdominal pain-discomfort
With vomiting and diarrhea, this is serious!

How spread? Transmission of the disease is
Simply by direct contact and/or inhalation of Moyse/rat droppings, saliva, urine and water contaminated with the live virus …

E person-to-person possible way of transferring and/or passing the infection to other individuals?
Yes! Is possible by sharing utensils, close Contact with infected person, kissing-touching
… By saliva transmission …

Why am focusing on this ugly virus that can
Leave individuals to possible death?
It is not the Black Death, but could be to the
Victims because, of treatment is slow
… recovery that can lead to death!

Let mention recent cases in the cruise ship
MV Hondius with three passengers
Taken too early to their graves …
It was suppose to be a memorable vacation

Instead, turned the opposite for all! Who was the culprit? There seemed to be 2passengers Contaminated … A Dutch couple enjoying life’s Precious gifts and moments!

They traveled to Argentina, Chile and Uruguay
As reported, I heard bird watching …
As, they were! They, had-sad to learn of that News … How sad to learn of this news!
… One-today, dying side-by-side?

They must had come in direct contact with
The rat live Hantavirus being present!
Possibly feces and/or contaminated urine as
Fluids without knowing! Who can predict!

Viruses behave different while bacteria,
Are double stranded (ds) DNA layered as single
Circular chromosome in its cytoplasm …
It is known as “Nucleoid, composed of long-stranded helical & with supercoiled DNA strand
… molecule capturing genetic info
… for the microbe

Bacteria contains plasmids, a double circular bacterial DNA, doubled helix; which carries extra Genes … It’s an eukaryotic cell
Both are complicated structures: RNA Ss (viruses) vs Ds (DNA), Bacteria …

I hope, I’ve explained the importance
Of the structures .… Its mechanism
Between viruses vs. bacteria
It’s a complex world micro worlds of a system

Viruses are not unicellular, like bacteria
They’re a cellular, composed of cells
However, all viruses lack cytoplasm, cell membrane and organelles … viruses
… makeup are genetic materials (DNA or RNA)
… with a protein coat unlike your Winter coat

Going back to the couple, how sad to learn
Of their deaths! Let’s us not panic
But, remain calm as a whistle …
And, learn its facts, go on living!
… and enjoy life!

Minerva A. Garcia, your Poet