![[aggregator] downloaded image for imported item #74227](https://newsview.top/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/cruise-ship-hantavirus-outbreak-1024x576.jpg "Hantavirus deaths on cruise ship highlight dangers of rodent-borne disease")
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Asuspected hantavirus outbreakaboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic has left at least three people dead and triggered an international investigation — putting the rare but potentially deadly disease back in the spotlight.
The World Health Organization has stated on X that one case of hantavirus infection has been confirmed, while five additional suspected cases are pending.
Of the six people affected, three have died and one is currently in intensive care inSouth Africa.
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Hantaviruses include agroup of virusesprimarily carried by rodents that can cause severe respiratory or renal diseases in humans, according to Dr.Rhys Parry, a molecular virologist at the University of Queensland in Australia.
A suspected hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic has left at least three people dead and triggered an international investigation.(Getty Images)
Most hantaviruses that are found in North, Central and South America can cause HPS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.“The hantaviruses that are found throughout the United States are not known to spread between people,” the CDC stated.
HPS has a nearly 40% fatality rate in thosewho are infected, according to the above source.
How hantavirus spreads
“Hantaviruses typically spread when humans breathe in virus particles from disturbed rodent urine, droppings or nesting materials,�
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The CDC lists the following potential mechanisms of spread:
- Breathing in contaminated air when cleaning up after rodents
- Touching contaminated objects and then touching the nose or mouth
- Getting bitten or scratched by an infected rodent
- Eatingfood contaminatedwith the virus
Hantaviruses include a group of viruses primarily carried by rodents that can cause severe respiratory or renal diseases in humans.(Copyright Reuters 2017)
Dr.� saliva, urine and places they touch.
The most commontype of rodentto carry it in the U.S.is the deer mouse, the doctor noted.
gastrointestinal issuesthat appear anywhere from one to eight weeks after exposure, according to Parry.
“These progress to serious respiratory symptoms like coughing, shortness of breath and fluid in the lungs four to 10 days later,” he said.
“Hantaviruses typically spread when humans breathe in virus particles from disturbed rodent urine, droppings or nesting materials,�(iStock)
Sin Nombre virus is the most common hantavirus in the United States, which causes hantavirus pulmonary syndrome with a mortality rate of approximately 38%.
“It typically becomes fatal when the lungs fill with fluid, leading torespiratory failureand insufficient oxygen reaching vital organs,” Parry noted.
supportive measuresis crucial.
“Early intensive medical care is critical because patients who have sudden acute disease can rapidly become severely sick and die,” the CDC states.
onelink.me/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.
There is no specific antiviral treatment for hantavirus, the expert said, although early intensive care with oxygen therapy andsupportive measuresis crucial.
“Early intensive medical care is critical because patients who have sudden acute disease can rapidly become severely sick and die,” the CDC states.
“Even with medical care, 30% to 40% of people who develop hantavirus pulmonary syndrome will not survive.”
“Although there is no cure for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, it is important to seek medical care when short of breath, because the patient may need support from a mechanical ventilator or extra-corporal membrane oxygenator (ECMO) machine to deliver enough oxygen to their body,” Dr.
“Even with medical care, 30% to 40% of people who develop hantavirus pulmonary syndrome will not survive.”
Prevention of hantavirus
Bartolome offered some tips for preventing thisrare infection.
“It can be prevented by keeping wild mice and rats out of your home, cleaning up rodent waste quickly when encountered, and staying away from areas infested with rodents,�
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“When cleaning up rodent waste, it is important to wear rubber gloves, use disinfectant and wash your hands afterward.”
� Greg Wehner contributed reporting.
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