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A man travelling on a bus who died has tested positive for hantavirus, a completely different virus to COVID-19 which is currently sweeping the globe, according to reports. Other passengers have since been tested for hantavirus.

The unidentified victim, who is thought to be from Yunnan province, was travelling to work when he died, the state-run Global Times announced in a tweet on Monday. The publication wrote: “He was tested positive for #hantavirus. Other 32 people on bus were tested.” It added two people who were travelling with the worker who displayed symptoms of fever had been submitted for testing. The worker was from the city of Lincang - where authorities have now began to monitor and screen for the disease.

Hantavirus has been around since the 1950s and potentially active for much longer

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An epidemiological investigation has also been opened. According to the US’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), unlike coronavirus, hantaviruses are a family of viruses which are spread mainly by rodents. They can cause varied diseases in people, for example, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). Again, unlike coronavirus, is not an airborne disease and can only spread to people if they come into contact with urine, faces, and the saliva of rodents. JUST IN: Government issues new relationships shock ULTIMATUM

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Transmission of HFRS between people is extremely rare, while HPS cannot be passed from person-to-person. According to The Independent, misleading messages about hantavirus have quickly circulated on WhatsApp and elsewhere. The texts make reference to the rise of hantavirus and warn that the world could be in danger of another COVID-19 style outbreak. But, the warnings are overexagerated, claim the publication.

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Hantavirus is nowhere near as dangerous as coronavirus. And, hantavirus is in fact not new, having been known about for decades and potentially active for even longer. It first emerged in the 1950s in the American-Korean war in Koren, according to Swedish scientist Dr Sumaiya Shaikh, She wrote in a tweet: “The #Hantavirus first emerged in 1950s in the American-Korean war in Korea (Hantan river).

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