Published Date: 2012-07-28 12:22:45
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Hantavirus update 2012 - Americas (21): USA, Argentina
Archive Number: 20120728.1218275

HANTAVIRUS UPDATE 2012 - AMERICAS (21): USA, ARGENTINA
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A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

In this update:
[1] USA (Colorado)
[2] Argentina (Bariloche, Rio Negro province)

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[1] USA (Colorado)
Date: Wed 25 Jul2012
Source: 9 News [edited]
http://www.9news.com/rss/article/279653/222/Adams-County-woman-dies-of-hantavirus

The Tri-County Health Department says an Adams County woman has died
of [a] hantavirus [infection].

The department said Wednesday [25 Jul 2012] that the 36-year-old woman
was admitted to a hospital 8 Jul [2012] with flu-like symptoms and
died 2 days later. Tri-County Health says she had no serious
underlying health conditions.

Health officials say she most likely was exposed to hantavirus while
cleaning a rodent-infested area of her home.

This is the 3rd case of [a] hantavirus [infection] this year [2012] in
Colorado.

The virus is carried by rodents and can be passed to people who inhale
dust contaminated with the excrement or saliva of infected deer mice.

Initial symptoms of the respiratory disease include fever, chills,
headache and severe muscle pain, especially in the lower back and
legs, sometimes followed by a dry cough or difficulty breathing.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail from HealthMap Alerts
<promed@promedmail.org>

[The specific hantavirus is not mentioned in this report, but most
likely is Sin Nombre virus, which is endemic in Colorado, most of the
western USA and southwestern Canada. Its rodent host is the deer
mouse, _Peromyscus maniculatus_. Following advice about taking
precautions to avoid dust when cleaning buildings where this rodent is
likely to be present is prudent.

An image of _Peromyscus maniculatus_, the rodent host of Sin Nombre
virus, can be accessed at
http://www.ask.com/wiki/Peromyscus_maniculatus.

The state of Colorado in the western USA can be located on the
HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map at http://healthmap.org/r/00Fd. - Mod.TY]

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[2] Argentina (Bariloche, Rio Negro province)
Date: Thu 26 Jul 2012
Source: Diario Norte [in Spanish, trans. Mod. TY, edited]
http://www.diarionorte.com/noticia.php?numero=87403

More cases are anticipated in this winter season. Tasks in the mountains should only be carried out along established trails. This is because the infection is infrequent but fatal, disseminated by mice and rats through their urine, excrement and saliva.

A 27 year old young man died from a hantavirus disease while interned in the San Carlos de Bariloche zone hospital, according to information from this health care facility. The deceased, who died the morning of 16 Jul [2012] 72 hours after being admitted. This was indicated by the director of the facility, Victor Parodi, who stated that the patient, whose identity was not provided, came in with a clinical picture that was suspicious of a hantavirus [infection], that was later confirmed, and died on the 3rd day of hospitalization.

According to the La Manana newspaper, the young man worked as an hourly domestic employee in houses in the city center.

Parodi said that the death was a predictable fact "of cold numbers" and that new cases are expected in the entire Andean region, that includes the Chilean side of the border.

Because of this, the physician requested that the population be careful "in those cases where storage places that have been closed for months must be cleaned up." These tasks must be done while wearing masks for respiratory protection, gloves and with previous ventilation of the area," he stated in this sense [or precaution]. He also requested that work in the mountains be carried out only along established trails.

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), is an infrequent infection but fatal [in about 30 percent of the patients], that is spread by mice and rats through their urine, excrement and saliva. Small particles with the virus can float in the air. Humans acquire the disease [virus] when they breathe contaminated air or come into contact with rodents or their excrement, although there is no person-to-person transmission. [This is not correct. If the hantavirus involved is Andes virus, which is most likely, it can be transmitted directly by close inter-personal contact. Mod. TY]

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-ESP
<promed-esp@promedmail.org>

[This is the 2nd report of HPS in Bariloche this year (2012; see archive cited below). The virus involved in this case, and others in the southern Andes mountain area is Andes virus. It is unfortunate that there is an error of fact in the above report concerning person-to-person transmission of this virus. Andes virus is the only hantavirus thus far to be shown to have this type of transmission, but only when there is very close inter-personal contact, usually among family members. Chilean health authorities usually closely follow the health status of family members because of this.

An image of the long-tailed pygmy rice rat (_Oligoryzomys longicaudatus_), the sigmodontine rodent host of Andes hantavirus, can be seen at http://www.bios.niu.edu/frayjorge/rod6.jpg.

A HealthMap/ProMED interactive map showing the location of Bariloche can be accessed at http://healthmap.org/r/1E_t. - Mod.TY]

See Also