Hanta Pulmonary Syndrome :: essays research papers

Hanta pulmonic SyndromeThe Hanta Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a disease that has emerged in North America only recently. Its radical is a computer virus carried by rodents, particularly the deer mouse, and transmitted by direct contact with their droppings. Symptoms appear within the one to six weeks of sign exposure, and initially include muscle aches, fever, and other flu-like symptoms. After a while, the dupe may experience shortness of breath and coughing resulting from decreased circulation in the lungs and a lowered white blood cell count conjugate with opportunistic infections. At this stage if they are not brought to a hospital soon they stand the risk of dying within the next two dozen hours. This disease, although not new, has experienced a large re-emergence in the southwestern united States and Mexico due to the arid climates in those areas. Cases have been spread all everywhere the western U.S. with even a few in the east, but nigh half of the cases to date hav e been in the Four Corners area. In a dry area, the disease&8217s incubation is somewhat longer, making the chances of assure it somewhat higher. In places such as woodpiles and sheds where there is little send off circulation to move off the virus, it can linger for a sizeable era of time. The best method of fighting the hanta virus is prevention. By controlling the rodent population and preventing them from entering houses and sheds, the risk of infection can be lowered. Furthermore, educating those in high-risk areas of the signs of the disease and what to do about them significantly lowers the likelihood of death. The virus cannot spread from human to human even during its peak state, but since clear persons may not show symptoms for some weeks the likelihood of other tidy sum becoming infected by the same source is considerable. For this reason it is all-important(prenominal) that those living in areas where it is or may be present cognise how to avoid contracting it. Th is includes allowing sheds and other closed areas to ventilate well in advance entering them, checking for signs of rodent infestations, and minimizing factors that attract rodents.