Chinese city battles twin threats of Covid and haemorrhagic fever

The city of Xian in China's Shaanxi Province has been struck by incidences of deadly haemorrhagic fever and fresh COVID-19 outbreaks. The city located in northwestern China has ordered suspension of schools and has started citywide coronavirus tests, reported South China Morning Post citing local newspapers.

As per the report, the city detected 21 COVID-19 cases on Sunday. This has brought total number of infections during current wave to 57.

The city has also seen haemorrhagic fever epidemic since the start of the winter. It is a natural epidemic disease with high fatality rate.

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Haemorrhagic fever is said to be a common infectious disease in the north. From October every year, some areas of Shaanxi Province enter the high incidence season of haemorrhagic fever.

In recent years, the virus institute of Shaanxi CDC confirmed the local infection of the virus in Xi`an city through a large number of field investigations and laboratory neutralization antibody detection and identification, the report said.

Experts said that haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, also known as epidemic haemorrhagic fever, is caused by Hantavirus, with rodents as the main source of infection.

It can be transmitted by a mouse bite, by eating food or water that a mouse has crawled over, or by contact with infected mouse blood, urine or faeces. The population is generally susceptible to the disease, and the incidence is high in farmers who often work in the field, or workers engaged in agricultural industry and food processing.

Hemorrhagic fever is an acute infectious disease characterised by fever, bleeding and renal damage, and can lead to death in serious cases.

(With inputs from agencies)