BIOLOGY LAB (BIOL-1615)
HFRS Virus in Humans and Rodents in
China
Introduction:
What is hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome
(HFRS):
One of the disease that is rising is hemorrhagic fever with
renal syndrome (HFRS.) This illness is caused by hantavirsus from the family of
Bunyaviridae (Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2011, p. xx-xx). HFRS carriers are rodents. Humans are
exposed to this virus by exposure to rodents: urine that is made into small
enough particles to stay in the air (aerosolized), droppings, saliva, or dust
from their nests, or direct contact introduced to the skin or mucous membranes.
Rodents that carry this disease are the field mouse (Apodemus agraius), the
Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus), the bank vole (Clethroinomys glareolus), and the
yellow-necked field mouse (Apodemus flavicollis.) According to the Center for
Disease control it is very unlikely for humans to transfer the disease to
another human.
Symptoms of HFRS:
According to the Center for disease control symptoms of HFRS
generally occur within 1-2 two weeks after being exposed. According to the study
symptoms of the 22 patients were: fever (22/22), Headaches (18/22), Lumbago
(lower back pain) (17/22), Myalgia (muscle pain) (5/22), Hypotension (13/22),
Bellyaches (9/22), Vomiting (13/22), Diarrhea (8/22), Hemafecia (blood in
fecies) (4/22), Petechia (red spots) on skin or oral mucosa (14/22), Oliguria
(inability to produce “enough urine”) (14/22), Hematuria (blood in urine)
(10/22), Albuminuria (albumin in urine) (18/22), and Thrombocytopenia (low
blood-platelet level) (21/22).
Study:
Purpose of Study:
China accounts for 90% of all the reported case of HFRS in the
world. This increasing health problem has 20,000-50,000 case reported
annually. Scientist captured
rodents from different areas of Beijing (where disease seems common) and
gathered people who were exposed to the illness. They wanted to see where the
disease was most common in Beijing and which rodent was the best host.
Patents/Specimens:
These patients had been tested 3-15 days after exposure to the
disease. The ages of the patients obtained ranged between 19-70 with the medium
of 37.2. The majority of the patients were males between the ages of 18-22. The
animal specimens (923 animals) were captured and tested on: 649 Norway rats (R. norvegicus), 136 house mouse (Mus musculus), 124 A.
agraius, and 14 other little animals not stated specifically.
Testing:
The tests that were done were extensive laboratory test and
blood tests. The rodents were captured at sites where they presumed to be
infected by snap traps. The specimens were taken and were identified by their
species and sex. Their lung tissues were then removed and kept in liquid
nitrogen until tested. The craniums were taken to the laboratory for further
identification. After gaining consent from the patents, blood samples were
collected and then the patients were asked to answer questions from a
questionnaire. The laboratory tests were analyzed by immunohistochemical
staining and microscopic examination in the blood or tissues.
Results:
Of the total of 22 specimens all of them (22/22) were confirmed
with HFRS illness through extensive blood work and laboratory tests. Of the
rodents captured, 7/22 had HFRS disease. The Norway rat (R.
norvegicus) seemed to be the best host for this disease and a transmitter
for it as well. For better results they would need to do more extensive
studies. Patients 7, 15, and 22 were exposed to rodents in Tianjin City nine
days prior to symptoms of the HFRS disease. This suggests that the patients may
have been infected outside of Beijing. More studies need to be done to confirm
this theory.
Discussion:
This study helped scientist to have the first results of the
most similar viral sequences in HFRS patients and Norway rats (R. norvegicus).
The studies were short in length and scientists need more intensive comparative
studies to be done. This was a study that opened the door to potential studies
that need to be done to add more proof to this theory on
HFRS.
China
Introduction:
What is hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome
(HFRS):
One of the disease that is rising is hemorrhagic fever with
renal syndrome (HFRS.) This illness is caused by hantavirsus from the family of
Bunyaviridae (Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2011, p. xx-xx). HFRS carriers are rodents. Humans are
exposed to this virus by exposure to rodents: urine that is made into small
enough particles to stay in the air (aerosolized), droppings, saliva, or dust
from their nests, or direct contact introduced to the skin or mucous membranes.
Rodents that carry this disease are the field mouse (Apodemus agraius), the
Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus), the bank vole (Clethroinomys glareolus), and the
yellow-necked field mouse (Apodemus flavicollis.) According to the Center for
Disease control it is very unlikely for humans to transfer the disease to
another human.
Symptoms of HFRS:
According to the Center for disease control symptoms of HFRS
generally occur within 1-2 two weeks after being exposed. According to the study
symptoms of the 22 patients were: fever (22/22), Headaches (18/22), Lumbago
(lower back pain) (17/22), Myalgia (muscle pain) (5/22), Hypotension (13/22),
Bellyaches (9/22), Vomiting (13/22), Diarrhea (8/22), Hemafecia (blood in
fecies) (4/22), Petechia (red spots) on skin or oral mucosa (14/22), Oliguria
(inability to produce “enough urine”) (14/22), Hematuria (blood in urine)
(10/22), Albuminuria (albumin in urine) (18/22), and Thrombocytopenia (low
blood-platelet level) (21/22).
Study:
Purpose of Study:
China accounts for 90% of all the reported case of HFRS in the
world. This increasing health problem has 20,000-50,000 case reported
annually. Scientist captured
rodents from different areas of Beijing (where disease seems common) and
gathered people who were exposed to the illness. They wanted to see where the
disease was most common in Beijing and which rodent was the best host.
Patents/Specimens:
These patients had been tested 3-15 days after exposure to the
disease. The ages of the patients obtained ranged between 19-70 with the medium
of 37.2. The majority of the patients were males between the ages of 18-22. The
animal specimens (923 animals) were captured and tested on: 649 Norway rats (R. norvegicus), 136 house mouse (Mus musculus), 124 A.
agraius, and 14 other little animals not stated specifically.
Testing:
The tests that were done were extensive laboratory test and
blood tests. The rodents were captured at sites where they presumed to be
infected by snap traps. The specimens were taken and were identified by their
species and sex. Their lung tissues were then removed and kept in liquid
nitrogen until tested. The craniums were taken to the laboratory for further
identification. After gaining consent from the patents, blood samples were
collected and then the patients were asked to answer questions from a
questionnaire. The laboratory tests were analyzed by immunohistochemical
staining and microscopic examination in the blood or tissues.
Results:
Of the total of 22 specimens all of them (22/22) were confirmed
with HFRS illness through extensive blood work and laboratory tests. Of the
rodents captured, 7/22 had HFRS disease. The Norway rat (R.
norvegicus) seemed to be the best host for this disease and a transmitter
for it as well. For better results they would need to do more extensive
studies. Patients 7, 15, and 22 were exposed to rodents in Tianjin City nine
days prior to symptoms of the HFRS disease. This suggests that the patients may
have been infected outside of Beijing. More studies need to be done to confirm
this theory.
Discussion:
This study helped scientist to have the first results of the
most similar viral sequences in HFRS patients and Norway rats (R. norvegicus).
The studies were short in length and scientists need more intensive comparative
studies to be done. This was a study that opened the door to potential studies
that need to be done to add more proof to this theory on
HFRS.