"Most scientific papers explain that hantavirus transmission occurs from rats to humans and that human-to-human contagion is rarely documented. It happens only with this strain and, until now, has been limited to very close contact in hospital settings or through sexual contact. But this 2020 study confirms the existence of superspreaders: people who, because of their viral load and social activity, can transmit the virus at a rate of 2.12."
"The outbreak in the study occurred in Argentina, in the provinces of Chubut, Neuquen, and Rio Negro. After the virus was introduced from a rodent reservoir, transmission began with three symptomatic individuals who attended crowded social events—a birthday party, a funeral, and a doctor's appointment. Once 18 cases had been confirmed, health authorities imposed isolation measures for people with confirmed infections and for possible contacts."
"At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the coronavirus had a rate close to 3. This does not mean it has pandemic potential, but it does show that an Andes virus infection cannot be treated as a mere rodent-borne issue: community transmission is possible."
The Andes virus, responsible for deaths on the MV Hondius cruise ship, spreads between humans more readily than previously understood. A 2020 study analyzing a 2018-2019 Argentine outbreak with 34 infections and 11 deaths identified superspreaders capable of transmitting the virus at a rate of 2.12 per person, comparable to early COVID-19 transmission rates. The outbreak began when three symptomatic individuals attended crowded social events including a birthday party, funeral, and doctor's appointment. Isolation measures implemented after 18 confirmed cases limited further person-to-person spread. This demonstrates that Andes virus transmission extends beyond rodent-to-human contact and close hospital settings, with community transmission possible in concentrated populations.
#andes-virus-transmission #superspreaders #human-to-human-contagion #outbreak-control-measures #hantavirus-epidemiology
Read at english.elpais.com
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