Should You Worry About Hantavirus?

The hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean has raised concerns about the rare but deadly virus. Public health officials say the threat to the public remains low based on what we know about the virus and how it spreads.

The outbreak involves the Andean strain of the virus.

Dr. D., director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Special Pathogens in Baltimore. Gaby Frank said there are many different strains of hantavirus. Laboratory tests showed the cruise outbreak involved the Andean strain, which is endemic to South America, including Argentina, where the ship sailed on April 1. Head of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention at the World Health Organization, Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove said the first cases of hantavirus were in a couple believed to have been infected before boarding in Argentina.

Most forms of hantavirus are spread through contact with the feces, urine, and saliva of infected rodents, including when people inhale virus particles. Although Andean virus is the only type known to spread from person to person, such cases are rare.

Bryce Warner, a research scientist at the Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Organization at the University of Saskatchewan who has studied hantavirus extensively, said that unlike flu, Covid and even the common cold, the Andean strain is extremely difficult to carry between people.

Flu and Covid spread primarily through the upper respiratory tract and multiply at high levels. Hantavirus spreads less easily and can also get deeper into the lungs and affect blood vessels. Dr. “It’s not very easy for the virus to get out,” Warner said.

Those at highest risk of person-to-person transmission are people who have been in close proximity to an infected person for a long time, such as healthcare workers or people sharing the same household. It was stated that two of the passengers who lost their lives on the ship were a married couple. The ship’s doctor showed symptoms of the virus and was evacuated from the ship. It is not yet clear how other people on the ship may have become infected.

Dr. Van Kerkhove said some cases were in close contact with each other and “human-to-human transmission cannot be ruled out.”

Most passengers remain on the ship.

Health officials did not say how those on board might need to quarantine once they disembark. They may ask people exposed to infected cases to quarantine, but it is difficult to keep people isolated for a long period of time because it can take one to six weeks for symptoms to appear after a person is exposed.

Health authorities have launched contact tracing for people who may have come into contact with people who left the ship, such as a woman who flew to South Africa for care and later died, WHO said.

Outside of this outbreak, the virus is dangerous but rare.

In general, hantaviruses pose a small risk to the general population. A total of 890 cases have been seen in the United States since observations began in 1993. The vast majority of these were caused and occurred by the Sin Nombre strain of the virus. west of the Mississippi RiverThe states with the highest number of cases are New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and California. 35 percent of these cases were fatal.

Steven Bradfute, an associate professor at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, said the Andean virus is not unique or endemic to the United States, although there have been imported cases from other countries.

Both the Andes and Sin Nombre strains can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a condition that begins with flu-like symptoms such as fever and chills but can quickly progress to lung problems and difficulty breathing. Because there is no medication that can treat the infection, doctors can only offer supportive care, which may include oxygen or a heart-lung machine. Getting to the hospital quickly and receiving respiratory support can increase the chances of survival.

Different strains of the virus are circulating in Europe and Asia, where thousands of cases occur each year, but the fatality rate is lower, between 1 percent and 15 percent, depending on the strain. These versions of the virus primarily affect the kidneys.

However, the researchers emphasized that the average person should not worry about the virus or necessarily change their daily behavior.

Dr. “There’s essentially no risk to anyone who isn’t on that ship,” Warner said.

It is very different from the early spread of Covid.

Reports of the outbreak may seem similar to the early days of the Covid outbreak, when a mysterious virus spread on cruise ships and passengers were quarantined on board. However, experts said that hantavirus is much more difficult to transmit and has much less potential to turn into a pandemic.

Dr. “It’s good to be cautious, but there’s no need to worry about a global pandemic,” Bradfute said.

D., clinical associate professor of infectious diseases at Michigan Medicine. Emily Abdoler said past cases where the virus spread between people did not lead to large outbreaks, “nothing even close to the scale of Covid.”

Those at greatest risk can take steps to protect themselves.

Agricultural workers who come into contact with mouse and rodent feces are at high risk. People who clean sheds and garages may want to be especially wary of mouse and rodent droppings.

You can wear gloves and use a bleach solution or household cleaner to wet the surfaces while cleaning. Do not sweep or use a vacuum; this can introduce particles into the air you may breathe. Dr. Wearing a well-fitting N95 mask can protect against viral particles, Bradfute said.

People traveling to areas where the virus is common, visiting rural areas, or going camping or hiking should take precautions to minimize exposure to potentially infectious materials. WHO has a information note This explains where infections are most common.