The wife of Gene hackmanBetsy Arakawa, died because of a Hantavirus infection, New Mexico officials announced.
The Hantavirus, present worldwide, is transmitted by contact with rodents, their urine or feces. It is not transmitted between people. There is no specific treatment or cure, but early medical care can increase the probabilities of survival.
An infection can progress quickly and become potentially deadly.
Actually, it begins as a flu: body pain and discomfort, ”said Dr. Sonja Bartolome of the UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.” At the beginning of the disease, it is possible that it cannot be differentiated between the Hantavirus and the flu. “
The virus can cause a severe pulmonary infection, and sometimes mortal, called pulmonary syndrome by Hantavirus, according to the Centers for the control and prevention of US diseases. The agency began to track the virus after an outbreak in 1993 in the region of the four skiing, the area where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah.
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It was a cunning doctor of the indigenous health service who first noticed a pattern of deaths among young patients, said Dr. Michelle Harkins, a pneumologist at the Center for Health Sciences of the University of New Mexico that for years has been studying the disease and helping patients.
They were healthy, they had no medical problems and arrived with cardiopulmonary arrest, ”he said, which caused the participation of CDC while experts worked to determine what patients had in common.
Since then, most cases in the US have registered in the west states, especially in the southwest. Between 1993 and 2022, 864 cases were reported in the US. New Mexico recorded the most during that period, with 122, followed by Colorado with 119.
Seven cases were confirmed in 2023 and another seven in 2024, according to the New Mexico Department of Health. As for deaths, the State has reported 52 between 1975 and 2023.
CDC have offered to analyze samples involved In the case of Arakawa to learn more about the strain of the virus that infected it and perform pathology tests.
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The symptoms begin between one and eight weeks after the exhibition and initially can include fatigue, fever and muscle aches, according to CDC. As the disease progresses, symptoms may include coughing, difficulty breathing and chest oppression as the lungs are filled with liquid.
Approximately one third of people who have respiratory symptoms due to the disease can die, according to CDC.
Despite years of research, Harkins said that there are still many questions to answer, such as why it can be mild for some people and very serious for others, and how antibodies develop. She and other researchers have been monitoring patients for long periods in the hope of finding a treatment.
There are many mysteries, ”he said, noting that what researchers know is that exposure to mice is key.
The best way to avoid germ is to minimize contact with rodents and their excrement. Use protective gloves and a bleach solution to clean redness droppings. Public health experts warn against sweeping or aspiring, as they can spread the air virus.
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