CDC says threat of widespread outbreak of hantavirus remains low

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reassured the public that the threat of a widespread hantavirus outbreak remains low, despite recent headlines. These concerns were amplified by an outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship, which led to three deaths and eight reported cases. Officials emphasized that hantavirus is typically contracted through contact with rodent droppings, and person-to-person transmission is rare. The specific strain being monitored on the cruise ship, the Andes strain, can, in rare cases, spread between people. Three passengers, a Dutch couple and a German woman, died from the virus, with the couple believed to have contracted it before boarding the ship. Over two dozen American passengers were on board; seven have returned to the U.S. and have shown no symptoms. The remaining 17 passengers will be monitored at the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center upon their return, though this will not be a quarantine.