Hantavirus

[Ron Nossaman]

Hi all,

I submit that it could very well be that people have been killed by this for
a lot of years and being written up as having succumbed to just another
strange fever or flu. The old country doctors/veterinarians often went
through a fifty year career with little or no continuing education past what
got them through Med School back in '79 (year 1.9K problem). A lot of the
nasties that killed folks at the turn of the century were lumped together
under discriptive symptom categories rather than being accurately identified
as specific bugs. The fever took 'em all, you see. The farther back you go,
the less specific the diagnoses were. So maybe it has been around for a
while and was finally just *identified* in 1993, although it could be a
recent mutation. From what Jim Harvey said, it seems that we aren't done
guessing just yet. When the medical profession finally decides whether or
not sugar is bad for you, we may get some real answers on this too.
Meanwhile, I recommend holding your breath.

Ron
   

At 12:47 PM 7/22/98 -0500, you wrote:
>> It's puzzling why this virus is now present. Some of us have been
>> shoveling mice droppings from pianos for over 40 years with no problem.
>> What is the factor? 
>>
>
>The rodent strain is the first US outbreak of acute disease associated
>with hantavirus. Hantaviruses have traditionally been associated with
>diseases like hemorrhagic fever and renal syndrome. Mortality rate from
>hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is 48%. The disease is asymptomatic in
>rodents and is transmitted via saliva and excreta. Its *first* occurence
>was only in 1993...a designer disease for that year, along with the new
>cholera pandemic that was first seen in 1993 in Asia. Question is why did
>pulmonary hantavirus syndrome emerge in 1993, when the virus was present
>in low levels in rodent populations for years prior to 1993? Is this
>related to changes in rodent ecology and/or changes in the viral
>strain...why pulmonary now and not renal? The answer depends on your
>political pursuasion, but it seems fairly likely (in other new disease
>emergence also) that ecological/environmental perversions are at least
>partially responsible. Possible scenario is: 1993 heavy rains after 6
>years drought caused flourishing rodent food supply...rodent burrows were
>flooded driving the mice above ground...perfect conditions for
>amplification of the virulent strain of hantavirus and its transmission to
>human populations. 1993 was also a particularly bad El Nino year.  Years
>of overgrazing and de-forestation in the southwest served to amplify the
>flooding problem, plus increased human contact with rodent populations. 
>So the combination of conditions no doubt made everything just right for 
>emergence of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
>
>Just some thoughts from another one of my past lives. When I was involved
>with ecosystem modelling we looked at the emergence of new diseases.
>This one is certainly not the first or last....and we are in for a rough
>ride over the next decades judging by history since the 80s. 
>
>Isn't piano servicing fun. You should check out the CDC website for 
>suggestions on reducing the risk.
>
>Stephen
>
>Stephen Birkett Fortepianos
>Authentic Reproductions of 18th and 19th Century Pianos
>464 Winchester Drive
>Waterloo, Ontario
>Canada N2T 1K5
>tel: 519-885-2228
>email: birketts@wright.aps.uoguelph.ca
>
>
> 
>
>
 Ron