Cape Town - Researchers are advising clinicians to consider the risk of another zoonotic disease called hantavirus in travellers returning from endemic areas, after the first case in South Africa was picked up last year.
Hantaviruses are re-transmitted from host rodent species (including bats, rodents, moles and shrews) to humans and have wide geographical distribution across the Americas, Europe and Asia.
In humans, hantavirus may cause haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) or hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HPS). Clinical case presentation is characterised by the triad of fever, haemorrhage and acute kidney dysfunction.
In a recent South African Medical Research Journal article, researchers from the Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, the National Health Laboratory Services and Universities of Pretoria and Witwatersrand reported the first detection of an imported case of HFRS in the country.
“In May 2021, a 37-year-old SA businessperson, living and working in Crikvenica, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Croatia, presented with a 1-week history of an acute febrile illness and blurred vision.
“In exploring possible exposures, the patient reported visiting horse stables located in a rural part of Crikvenica and that he enjoyed cycling in the countryside. He also reported that a worker at the stables in question was diagnosed with HFRS at the time of his visits to the facility.”
Blood tests for hantavirus came back positive and the patient was hospitalised for 10 days.
The renal dysfunction and pulmonary oedema (too much fluids in the lungs) were managed and the patient made a full recovery.
“Clinicians should consider the risk of hantavirus infection in travellers returning from endemic areas with possible rodent exposure (or exposure to rodent excreta) and presenting with either severe respiratory illness or renal function impairment.”