Description
Hantaviruses is part of the Bunyaviridae family of viruses. Hantaviruses are transmitted by aerosolized rodent excretia or rodent bites. The infection of Hantavirus is called hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) relating with high mortality, and several other Hantaviruses are associated with the etiologic agents causing Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) or Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS). Hantavirus infection increases vascular permeability and decreases blood pressure due to endothelial dysfunction, the most dramatic damage is seen in the kidneys, while lung, spleen, and gall bladder are most affected. Regions affected by HFRS include China, the Korean Peninsula, Russia, and northern and western Europe. Regions with the highest incidences of HPS or HCPS include Argentina, Chile, Brazil, the United States, Canada, and Panama. The agent causing HCPS in South America is Andes virus, one member of Hantavirus, which causes a person-to-person transmission, fatality rate, was reported about 25-35% in Argentina and of 37% in Chile