The Andean hantavirus strain is the one that produces the highest human mortality rate in the country

After two years of pandemic, excessive care and special attention to health, it seems that the world has overcome the Corona virus. However, there are other viruses that are constantly evolving and affecting the population and require extreme caution. A few weeks ago there were cases of hepatitis, then monkeypox, and thus a case of Andean hantavirus strain, which is spread by contact with animals. The danger is that it produces the highest human mortality rate in the country and is transmitted from person to person..

According to a study by UBA, which analyzes in detail the spread of disease considering human and rodent populations and their interactions, It takes place in the Andes – Patagonia.

Alarms increased, according to the report. There are eleven strains of this virus in the country, nine of which have been linked to disease in humans..

Although the whole country is on alert, Gogoi has already registered about 49 suspected casesAccording to local media El Tribuno. Following reports from the Health Directorate of the Regional Ministry of Health, up to the eighteenth week, three positive cases of this disease were confirmed. For this reason, the “San Miguel” hospital in Yuto has been set up as a guard unit for hantavirus in the area.

Attention is also focused on the types of the breed. In 2021, the ten confirmed cases of hantavirus were classified, in two of the samples sent for molecular biology studies conducted in Inevih D. Julio Maiztegui”, Orán genotype revealed; for 2022, up to week 18, Orán and Laguna Negra genotypes were found in two of the derived samples.

How does it spread?

It is a viral, contagious, global disease, caused by the virus of the same name, and for infection to occur, it is necessary to contact an animal species, usually wild.Which acts as a natural reservoir for the virus, with mortality rates in case of infection reaching 47%.

Researcher from that university’s College of Agricultural Engineering, Karina Hodara, studied transmission in the area and confirmed the relationship between the population and that of the long-tailed rodent.

According to the professional portal Sobre la Tierra Hodara noted that the Hantavirus scene is “more complex” in America than in Europe or Asia.

“America has 40 different viral strains circulating, 11 of which are constantly on the move in Argentina, distributed in four well-defined endemic areas, nine of which are associated with diseases in humans.‘, select Finder.

The model involved 27 processes and was able to estimate 30 population parameters, including birth and death rates, immigration and emigration rates, among many other factors.

In this sense, a relevant aspect of the work was the inclusion of immigration rates, as it was necessary to understand why the epidemic persists in the region. Thus, it was concluded that because The number of infected individuals entering the area “is greater than the number of migrants.”“.

Researcher FAUBA highlighted that this study is “extrapolable to any viral strain circulating in any endemic area of ​​the American continent.” But after focusing on the Andean region of Patagonia, the specialist determined that in order for a person to become infected with hantavirus from rodents, it is necessary to come into contact with at least 26 infected rodents, while contact between rodents is necessary with 12 infected rodents.

In this sense, the researcher recommended maintaining order and cleanliness in the home and surrounding areas of semi-urban and rural homes, mowing the lawn frequently and detecting environmental cues such as the massive flowering of cane colihue.

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