De Faakto Outbreak Intelligence
01 February 2019
OUTBREAK INTELLIGENCE
CDC Travel Alert-Andes Virus (Hantavirus) in Argentina
Watch – Level 1, Practice Usual Precautions
- There is an outbreak of Andes virus in Argentina, specifically in Chubut Province of Patagonia
- Travelers to Argentina should avoid contact with rodents and their droppings (urine and feces), and avoid close contact with anyone who may be sick (CDC)
Background
- Outbreak of Andes virus in the Chubut Province of Argentina that began in late 2018
- Cases reported in Epuyén, which is in Patagonia in southern Argentina (CDC)
Protect Against Hantavirus-Andes Virus
- Travelers to Argentina should avoid areas that are infested with rodents or where they see signs of rodents (such as droppings or nests)
- Andes virus can also spread between people, travelers should wash hands often and avoid close contact (such as kissing, having sex, or spending a long time together in a close physical space) with anyone who may be sick
- Travelers who develop symptoms during or after their trip should see a doctor right away. They should tell the doctor where they traveled in Argentina and whether they had contact with a rodent or sick person (CDC)
CDC https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/watch/andes-virus-hantavirus-argentina
WHO https://www.who.int/csr/don/23-January-2019-hantavirus-argentina/en/
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De Faakto Outbreak Intelligence
21 January 2019
OUTBREAK INTELLIGENCE
ARGENTINA OUTBREAK HANTAVIRUS
Reports from Argentina Secretary of Health of the Nation & United Press International,
- Outbreak of Hantavirus in a Southwestern province in Argentina
- 28 positive cases of Hantavirus
- 13 deaths
- 94 people in respiratory isolation to mitigate spread of the Hantavirus
- 100 Epuyen residents in the province of Chubut in the Patagonia region have been isolated by a judicial order
- This particular variation of Hantavirus is transmitted by wild rodent feces and saliva and person to person
- 2 other unrelated and deadly cases of Hantavirus have also been reported — one in the Salta region in northern Argentina and one in Entre Rios in the country’s east
- In Argentina Hantavirus outbreaks between 2013-2018 killed 111 people
What is Hantavirus?
- HPS is a zoonotic, viral respiratory disease
- Infections are acquired primarily through inhalation of aerosols or contact with the excreta, droppings or saliva of infected rodents
- 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 hantavirus called Andes virus
- Symptoms of HPS typically occur from two to four weeks after initial exposure, though symptoms may appear as early as one week to as late as eight weeks following exposure
The case fatality rate can reach 50% (WHO)
About Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
- (HPS) is a severe, sometimes fatal, respiratory disease in humans caused by infection with hantaviruses.
Early symptoms: fever, headaches, muscle aches, stomach problems, dizziness, chills, fatigue, fever and muscle aches, especially in the large muscle groups—thighs, hips, back, and sometimes shoulders
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 (CDC)
Late Symptoms
- Lungs fill with fluid, 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 (CDC)
Is the Disease Fatal?
- Yes. HPS can be fatal. It has a mortality rate of 38% (CDC)
CDC https://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/index.html
UPI https://www.upi.com/Argentina-town-hit-by-Hantavirus-outbreak-10-dead/5951547748362/
Argentina Secretary of Health http://www.ministeriodesalud.chubut.gov.ar/category/epidemiologia/
WHO https://www.who.int/csr/don/04-January-2019-hantavirus-panama/en/