Andes hantavirus is rare, geographically concentrated, and the only hantavirus currently known to spread person to person. In this episode of
Transmission Interrupted, Jill Morgan, Dr. Gaby Frank, and Dr. Gavin Harris discuss how the virus is transmitted and why its incubation period of up to six or eight weeks complicates diagnosis. They also explain the difference between New World hantaviruses, which can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, and Old World hantaviruses, which are associated with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome.
The conversation focuses on what clinicians should do when Andes hantavirus is suspected: take a careful exposure history, including exposures from as far back as six weeks, identify and isolate the patient, use appropriate PPE, and begin close supportive and critical care. Dr. Harris reviews PCR and serologic testing, while Dr. Frank emphasizes judicious fluid management and the importance of the three “I’s,”: Identify, Isolate, and Inform. The discussion also covers ribavirin, convalescent plasma, monoclonal antibodies, and other investigational treatments, while underscoring that early optimized critical care remains the intervention most consistently associated with improved outcomes.
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Transmission Interrupted on the web.
Guests
Maria (Gaby) Frank, MD, FACP, SFHM
Professor of Medicine, PAR, Johns Hopkins University
Director, Johns Hopkins Special Pathogens Center
Dr. Frank is a hospitalist. Professor of Medicine PAR, and the Director of Johns Hopkins’ Special Pathogens Center Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD, one of the 13 Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Centers (RESPTCs). The Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) is a premier 1000-bed non-profit academic medical center within the larger Johns Hopkins Health System, one of the leading health care systems in the United States. The 5-hospital health system in the Baltimore-Washington area has 2513 beds (354 intensive care unit beds) and serves approximately 7 million people. JHH provides a full range of clinical services, including specialty care for both adults and pediatric patients. The Johns Hopkins Hospital was ranked number one in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for 22 years of the survey's 30-year history. Before joining Johns Hopkins, Dr. Frank was the Medical Director of the biocontainment unit at Denver Health and Hospital Authority. In her role as the medical director of BCU, she served as the site Principal Investigator for the NIH-sponsored ACTT trial and is actively involved in the National Emerging Special Pathogen Training and Education Center (NETEC) and Special Pathogens Research Network (SPRN). Dr. Frank received her medical diploma from the University of Buenos Aires in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and completed a residency in Internal Medicine and another in Emergency Medicine in Argentina. She immigrated to the U.S. in 2004, where she completed another Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Colorado, joining as faculty after graduation. Her areas of interest include emergent special pathogens and disaster preparedness and response.
Gavin Harris, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Divisions of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine & Infectious Diseases
Emory University
Gavin H. Harris, MD is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Emory University, holding appointments in both critical care medicine and infectious diseases. His professional focus lies in disaster preparedness and biosecurity. He is the Medical Director for the Emory University Serious Communicable Diseases Program Project ECHO and a staff physician of the Emory University Serious Communicable Diseases Unit. Additionally, Dr. Harris is an alumni fellow at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health's Center for Health Security, Emerging Leaders in Biosecurity Initiative (ELBI), as well as faculty with the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC).
Host
Jill Morgan, RN
Emory Healthcare, Atlanta, GA
Jill Morgan is a registered nurse and a subject matter expert in personal protective equipment (PPE) for NETEC. For 35 years, Jill has been an emergency department and critical care nurse, and now splits her time between education for NETEC and clinical research, most of it centering around infection prevention and personal protective equipment. She is a member of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), ASTM International, and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI)
Resources
About NETEC
A Partnership for Preparedness
The National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center’s mission is to set the gold standard for special pathogen preparedness and response across health systems in the U.S., with the goals of driving best practices, closing knowledge gaps, and developing innovative resources.
Our vision is a sustainable infrastructure and culture of readiness for managing suspected and confirmed special pathogen incidents across the United States public health and health care delivery systems.
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NETEC Consultation Services
Assess and Advance Your Readiness for Special Pathogens with Free, Expert Consulting.
NETEC offers free virtual and onsite readiness consulting to help health care facilities and EMS agencies prepare for special pathogen events. Our targeted support services are delivered by experts selected and assigned to each inquiry based on the unique needs of your organization. Have a question? Ask a NETEC expert.
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