DRUG THERAPY OF HANTAVIRUS - A REVIEW

Abstract

Hantaviruses, members of order Bunyavirales, family Hantaviridae spreads through rodents and causes infections of which some strains potentially cause diseases like HPS, HCPS and HFRS. All these clinical syndromes have long term impact. Of these, HPS is more severe with a high mortality rate with acute respiratory failure and thrombocytopenia. It is of world wide distribution and its outbreak has been increasing over the past few decades.The central phenomenon behind these pathogenesis is vascular permeability and so these viruses infect microvascular endothelial cells. There are currently no FDA approved vaccines or treatment for Hantavirus diseases. The high rate of mortality could be reduced if effective therapeutics are identified for treatment of this illness. Diagnosis involves clinical findings, severity and patient history of rodent exposure. Treatment comprises renal function, cardiovascular and respiratory supports. The drug therapy depends on the stain of the virus and the extent of clinical syndrome in the patient. Thus public awareness and preventive measures are the only ways of minimizing the spread and risk of hantavirus disease. In this, we could have a detailed review on approaches being explored for the discovery of therapeutics including vaccines and immunodrugs, their time of administration and prevention of diseases.