A man who passed away on a bus in China tested positive for hantavirus, an infection more fatal than coronavirus, according to state media.
He was on his way to work when he passed away on a bus in Shandong.
This comes just as the country is lifting strict quarantines implemented to stop the spread of coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China.
The Global Times said that the reason behind the man’s death is hantavirus.
“He was tested positive for #hantavirus. Other 32 people on bus were tested,” the Global Times wrote on Twitter.
Experts reassured people that hantavirus is not new and is thought to only transmit through humans in very rare circumstances.
“The #Hantavirus first emerged in 1950s in the American-Korean war in Korea (Hantan river),” Dr. Sumaiya Shaikh wrote on Twitter.
“It spreads from rat/mice if humans ingest their body fluids. Human-human transmission is rare. Please do not panic, unless you plan to eat rats.”
Even though hantavirus is extremely rare, it has a 38 percent death rate, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Exposure to saliva, urine or droppings of infected rodents can lead to the virus being transmitted, as well as bites from infected mice and rats.
The symptoms of hantavirus are similar to those present in people with coronavirus and include fever, difficulty breathing, headache, and cough.
A patient who recovered from the hantavirus said to CDC that it felt like “a tight band around my chest and a pillow over my face.”
The CDC said: “In Chile and Argentina, rare cases of person-to-person transmission have occurred.
“There is no specific treatment, cure, or vaccine for hantavirus infection. Therefore, if you have been around rodents and have symptoms of fever, deep muscle aches, and severe shortness of breath, see your doctor immediately.”
One internet user commented: “China. Take a hard look at yourself.”
Another wrote: “If only every human being showed respect and kindness ot animals we would never be in this situation was now all facing.”
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