Version: April 2024
Epidemic hemorrhagic fever is a severe infectious disease caused by hantaviruses. Primarily transmitted by rodents, it is characterized by sudden onset of fever, chills, headache, backache, and severe prostration, followed by symptoms including low blood pressure, acute shock, vascular leakage, and acute kidney failure. The disease is of primary concern in East Asian countries, though it has global prevalence. It requires immediate medical intervention to prevent mortality. There is currently no specific treatment or vaccine, hence prevention is dependent on controlling rodent populations and minimizing exposure.
In the reported data for Epidemic hemorrhagic fever in Chinese mainland from 2014 to 2024, the cases exhibit a clear seasonal trend, with peaks in November or December and troughs in August or September of each year. The highest number of cases was recorded in December 2021 (2402 cases), and the lowest in September 2022 (205 cases). Overall, despite the yearly seasonal trend, the total number of cases appear to decrease over the years.
The death counts varied between 0 and 33 over the years. Similar to the incidence cases, deaths from the disease also show a seasonal trend, with the highest numbers generally occurring in the winter-spring period (November to February), and the lowest during the summer period (June to September). However, the highest number of deaths was recorded in November 2018 with 33 deaths. Despite some fluctuations, the overall mortality rate remains low in comparison to the number of cases, indicating a low case fatality rate.