This action took place on 5/5, following a report from the World Health Organization (WHO) detailing a cluster of serious cases on a cruise ship in the South Atlantic. In early May, the ship, which departed Argentina carrying 147 passengers, experienced seven cases of acute respiratory inflammation. Two individuals tested positive for Hanta virus, and five were suspected cases. The disease claimed three lives and left one patient in critical condition. Authorities have not recorded any Vietnamese citizens participating in this voyage.
Hanta is a highly dangerous virus strain primarily carried by rodents. It enters the human body through bites or by inhaling air containing dust from infected rat feces, urine, and saliva. Dry cleaning methods for homes or warehouses, or using vacuum cleaners, can easily disperse the pathogen into the air. Medical literature has documented some rare human-to-human transmissions, though this rate is very low.
After infection, the pathogen typically incubates in the body for two to eight weeks. Patients initially experience flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, muscle aches, and nausea. The disease progresses rapidly, damaging the body through pulmonary syndrome or hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. Patients quickly develop chest pain, difficulty breathing, a drop in blood pressure, and then death. Global medical experts have not yet found a specific cure, relying instead on intensive care and symptomatic treatment protocols.
Vietnam's health system has not recorded any Hanta infections to date, but the prevalence of rats in living environments poses a significant risk of an outbreak. To break the chain of transmission, health authorities advise people to avoid catching rats with bare hands; to cover food, collect daily trash, and seal holes around the house.
Before cleaning areas with rat infestations, individuals should open windows, wear protective gear, and wet the waste areas with disinfectant chemicals. If unusual symptoms appear after cleaning, people must go to the hospital immediately and report their exposure history for timely medical intervention.
Le Nga
