Can hantavirus spread between humans? What to know as WHO investigates ship outbreak
PBS • • world
Key Points:
- Three people have died and nearly 150 passengers are quarantined on a cruise ship off West Africa due to a hantavirus outbreak, with the World Health Organization (WHO) investigating the situation.
- Hantavirus is typically transmitted to humans through contact with infected rodent droppings, urine, or saliva, causing severe respiratory illness in some cases; there is no cure or FDA-approved vaccine.
- The WHO has identified two confirmed and five suspected hantavirus cases on the ship, including three deaths, and is investigating possible rare human-to-human transmission, particularly linked to the Andes virus strain.
- The affected cruise ship departed from Argentina and has traveled through Antarctica and the African coast; one patient remains in critical condition in South Africa, while others are quarantined on board.
- Experts emphasize that hantavirus person-to-person transmission is rare and requires close, prolonged contact, making it less contagious than airborne viruses like COVID-19 or influenza.
