A rare hantavirus outbreak connected to the expedition cruise ship MV Hondius has raised international concern after several passengers became seriously ill and at least three people died.
The outbreak has involved the Andes strain of hantavirus, a rare virus known to sometimes spread between people through very close contact. Health officials across several countries have been tracing passengers and monitoring possible infections after the ship traveled across the South Atlantic Ocean.
Scientists say the outbreak is serious, but they also stress that the virus is much less contagious than diseases such as COVID-19.
Professor Scott Pegan from the UC Riverside School of Medicine recently explained how hantavirus spreads, why the cruise ship environment may have increased the risk, and what travelers should know about the illness.
Pegan studies dangerous viruses and how they affect the immune system. His research focuses on emerging infectious diseases and possible treatments and vaccines.
He explained that hantavirus is not a single virus but a group of related viruses found in different regions of the world. Some strains mainly damage the kidneys, while others attack the lungs.
In North and South America, hantaviruses can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a severe illness that can lead to life-threatening breathing failure.
The natural carriers of these viruses are rodents. Most infections happen after humans come into contact with infected rodent urine, saliva, droppings, or contaminated dust.
People may become infected while cleaning rodent-infested buildings or touching contaminated materials.
According to Pegan, the Andes virus is unusual because it appears more capable of spreading between humans than most other hantaviruses.
Even so, scientists say it still spreads far less easily than airborne viruses.
Transmission usually requires very close personal contact involving bodily fluids or respiratory droplets. Experts say it is not comparable to viruses that can rapidly spread through the air over long distances.
Pegan explained that during the COVID-19 pandemic, one infected person could spread the virus to many others. Andes virus behaves very differently and usually infects far fewer people.
Still, the close environment on a cruise ship may have increased the chances of transmission.
Passengers on cruise ships often share cabins, dining spaces, and social areas for long periods of time. Family members and travel companions may spend many hours together in enclosed rooms, which may increase the likelihood of close-contact transmission.
The MV Hondius outbreak attracted global attention because the ship traveled internationally while passengers later dispersed to multiple countries.
The cruise began in Ushuaia, Argentina, and crossed the Atlantic Ocean with stops at several islands during the voyage.
After the outbreak was discovered, health agencies in several countries began tracing contacts and monitoring passengers.
Health experts say the outbreak should also remind people that hantavirus is not only a rural disease.
In the United States, many cases happen in rural farming areas because rodents are common there. However, Pegan said people should not assume urban or travel settings are completely safe from exposure.
Rodent-human contact remains the key risk factor.
The symptoms of hantavirus infection often look similar to flu symptoms at first. People may develop fever, body aches, tiredness, dizziness, headaches, nausea, stomach pain, or diarrhea.
Symptoms can take one to eight weeks to appear after exposure.
Several days after the first symptoms begin, severe cases may quickly worsen. Patients can develop coughing, shortness of breath, and serious lung problems.
Doctors say rapid medical care is very important because severe hantavirus pulmonary syndrome can become deadly.
At present, there is no approved vaccine or specific cure for most hantaviruses found in the Americas. Hospital treatment mainly focuses on supportive care, including oxygen support and breathing machines for critically ill patients.
Researchers around the world are working to develop vaccines and antiviral treatments.
Pegan also said the outbreak provides lessons for the cruise industry and health agencies. He believes it highlights the importance of strong sanitation systems, quick medical response, and careful investigation of unusual illnesses.
The outbreak also shows why doctors should not automatically assume all respiratory symptoms are caused by common flu viruses.
Scientists say modern travel allows diseases to move internationally much faster than in the past, which makes early detection and international cooperation especially important.
At the same time, experts continue emphasizing that the public should not panic. Current evidence suggests that Andes hantavirus requires much closer contact for transmission than many highly contagious viruses.
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Source: University of California Riverside.
