Susceptibility of forensic scientists to hantaviruses
Hantaviruses are a group of viruses within the Bunyaviridae family, primarily transmitted through contact with rodents and their bodily fluids. Forensic scientists face a heightened risk of exposure to hantaviruses, particularly the Sin Nombre virus (SNV), due to their frequent interactions with potential rodent-infested crime scenes and evidence. The Sin Nombre virus can lead to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a severe respiratory condition first identified in the U.S. in 1993. Symptoms of HPS include fever, headache, and gastrointestinal issues, progressing to respiratory distress, and the disease carries a significant mortality rate.
Forensic professionals may be exposed to the virus by inhaling aerosolized droplets from rodent waste or through direct contact with contaminated materials. To mitigate these risks, it is essential for forensic scientists to utilize personal protective equipment (PPE), such as HEPA-filter masks, gloves, and protective clothing when working in environments where rodent exposure is likely. Additionally, effective disinfectants can decontaminate surfaces and materials potentially harboring the virus. Given the serious health implications of HPS, awareness and preventive measures are crucial for those working in forensic science.
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Susceptibility of forensic scientists to hantaviruses
DEFINITION: Member of a group of viruses that are part of the Bunyaviridae viral family.
SIGNIFICANCE: Hantaviruses, which are transmitted by rodents and their bodily fluids, can have deadly effects. Because forensic scientists frequently come into contact with items from crime scenes where rodent infestation is likely, these professionals are at elevated risk for exposure to hantaviruses. In the United States, the predominant virus in this group is the Sin Nombre virus, which causes hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
Although hantaviruses have been known to exist since the 1950s, the first reported case of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) occurred in May of 1993 in the American Southwest. Over the next fourteen years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 450 confirmed cases of HPS occurred in the United States, and at least 35 percent of these resulted in death. Most of the incidents took place in the southwestern United States, but cases of HPS have been confirmed in thirty states.
The Sin Nombre virus (SNV) is transmitted primarily through the inhalation of aerosolized droplets of rodent saliva, urine, or feces. The deer mouse has been implicated as the primary carrier, although other carriers have been identified, including the cotton rat, the rice rat, and the white-footed mouse. It is possible that other rodents carry the virus as well. Transmission of the virus by other methods is rare, but cases have been found in which infected persons contracted the virus by being bitten by infected rodents, by eating foods contaminated with infected rodent bodily fluids, or by touching contaminated surfaces and then touching mucous membranes, such as inside the mouth.
Hantaviruses are composed of a spherical fatty envelope surrounding a three-segmented RNA (ribonucleic acid) genome. HPS has an incubation period of one to five weeks; early symptoms can include a high fever, headache, aching, dizziness, chills, coughing, nausea, and vomiting. As the disease progresses, the victim experiences shortness of breath and accumulates fluid in the lungs. Anyone can contract HPS.
Forensic scientists are at high risk of contracting HPS from exposure to SNV through varied means. Crime scene specialists, for example, often spend hours at crime scenes where rodent infestations are likely. The act of sifting through debris and other materials in such places can aerosolize any rodent urine, feces, or saliva present, which can then be inhaled by the investigators. In addition, items sent to forensics laboratories for analysis might contain rodent saliva or excrement, which could then infect the people working in these labs.
No defined treatment has yet been established for HPS. Persons with suspected HPS should be hospitalized immediately for monitoring. Intubation and oxygen therapy have yielded some success against the disease, and the use of antiviral drugs against it is being investigated.
Forensic scientists can reduce their risk of exposure to SNV by wearing masks with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters when working in areas that might be infested with rodents. Also, personal protective equipment such as latex gloves, safety spectacles, long-sleeved shirts, and full-length pants with closed-toe shoes can aid in exposure risk reduction. Disinfectants have been shown to be successful in decontaminating SNV-contaminated items.
Bibliography
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Fleming, Diane O., and Debra Long Hunt. Biological Safety: Principles and Practices. Washington, D.C.: ASM Press, 2000.
"Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome." Mayo Clinic, 7 Jan. 2022, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hantavirus-pulmonary-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20351838. Accessed 15 Aug. 2024.
"Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS)." American Lung Association, 2024, www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/hantavirus-pulmonary-syndrome. Accessed 15 Aug. 2024.
Schmaljohn, Connie S., and Stuart T. Nichol. Hantaviruses. New York: Springer, 2001.