Communicable Disease
Featured: Hantavirus
Hantaviruses are a family of rodent-borne viruses that can cause severe lung and heart disease. The Sin Nombre virus was first identified in the US in 1993 during the 4-corners outbreak, followed by numerous other new world hantaviruses across the Americas. From 1993 to 2022, 864 cases have been reported in the US. Although most states have registered cases of hantavirus, 94% of cases have occurred west of the Mississippi. Infection was fatal in 35% of cases during this time period.
Prevention
There are many ways to prevent the spread of disease. Vaccinations have helped eliminate or greatly reduced disease threats. Proper handwashing, especially before and after handling food and using the toilet, helps keep germs at bay.
Other important ways to slow or stop disease transmission are by ensuring the food we eat and water we drink is safe, avoiding people who are sick and practicing safe sex.
About communicable diseases
Some diseases spread from one person to another while others can spread from animal to person. Some are spread through the air, by touch or through bodily fluids. Some diseases may produce mild symptoms; others can be lethal. As APHA member Jonathan Fielding, professor of public health and pediatrics at UCLA, writes in this op-ed, "Without the necessary funds, fighting Zika, Ebola and other infectious disease is a losing battle."
More than 200 infectious diseases are listed in APHA’s Control of Communicable Diseases Manual. Some include:
COVID-19
Ebola
Hantavirus
Influenza
Mpox
Polio
Zika
