Amid growing online discussions about hantavirus, Filipinos are urged to stay informed about the rodent-borne disease and its health risks.
The Department of Health (DOH) has released an infographic providing information about the virus, which has been making headlines worldwide.
Hantaviruses are a group of viruses carried by rodents that can cause severe disease in humans.
Humans can become infected when exposed to the urine, droppings, or saliva of infected rats or mice.
Prolonged close contact with infected individuals can also result in infection.
Symptoms may appear up to six weeks after exposure to the virus. These include fever, vomiting, headache, stomach pain, and body aches.
The public is advised to keep their surroundings clean, store food in tightly sealed containers, and use gloves and proper cleaning tools when cleaning areas where rats may be present.
Authorities also said there are no confirmed cases of hantavirus in the Philippines yet, adding that the country’s borders are being strictly monitored by the Bureau of Quarantine.
“Nananatiling mababa ang panganib nito sa mundo ayon mismo sa WHO,” the health agency said, referring to the World Health Organization.
The WHO Philippines also reshared a series of infographics detailing the early signs of the virus and preventive measures to avoid infection.
These measures include sealing openings in homes and structures that rodents can enter, as well as using safe cleaning methods when rodent droppings are present—particularly by dampening the area and avoiding dry sweeping.
WHO Philippines also said other signs of hantavirus include fever, muscle aches, and nausea, which may appear one to eight weeks after exposure.
It cautioned the public that there is no licensed specific antiviral treatment or vaccine for hantavirus infection.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Andes virus is a type of hantavirus known to spread from person-to-person and only through close contact with an infected individual.
It said hantavirus can cause two syndromes: Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).
HPS is a severe and potentially deadly disease that affects the lungs, while HFRS is a severe and sometimes fatal disease that affects the kidneys.
The CDC said that about 38% of patients who develop respiratory symptoms from HPS may die from the disease.
