Teachable moments in classrooms:
- respiratory system chapter – microscopic anatomy of the alveoli
- Cardiovascular system – microscopic anatomy of capillaries, location of endothelial cells
- hemodynamics chapter – fluid flows during capillary exchange
- immune system chapter – reliance on cytotoxic T-cells to eliminate viral invaders
The news item: A short while ago the following news item appeared online:
Suspected hantavirus infections leave 3 dead, several ill on a cruise ship in the Atlantic
Three passengers have died and three other people are being treated amid a “public health event” involving suspected hantavirus infections on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, health officials said
The article states that 3 travelers on a cruise ship traveling in the Atlantic Ocean died, and one is being treated in a South African hospital, and lab results indicate hantavirus infection. The article also states that the virus originates from rodent droppings, and some strains can be transmitted between humans. The virus causes hantavirus pulmonary syndrome that affects the lungs.
So, Why Do I Care?? Hantavirus infections occur in about 200,000 people worldwide, most in Asia, and only about 1,000 in the USA. There is a great difference between the disease symptoms of the New World (American) versus the European and Asian strains. The New World strains cause 35-60% mortality, so the victims are in great danger, as there is no vaccination or antiviral therapies. The plight of hantavirus-infected people became very obvious during the virus outbreak on the cruise ship referenced in the news article.
Plain English, Please!!! First, let’s talk about how people get infected with hantavirus. The hantavirus (in our case the Andes strain) is a normal infectious agent for long-tailed rice mice of South America, and the resident viral particles are eliminated with urine and feces (droppings) of the mice. If the droppings are moved around, such as with dusting or sweeping, the resulting dust, and the adhering viral particles, are released into the air. Humans breath in the dust and the viral particles, and the virus lands in the respiratory system.
Second, let’s talk about what areas of the body are targeted by hantavirus. The Andes strain of the virus remains localized to the lungs, where it infects the endothelial cells of the capillaries of the alveoli. Normally, the endothelial cells form a continuous internal sheeting of the blood vessels,