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Health
officials
monitor
real-time
data on
a global
outbreak
alert
screen,
which
currently
indicates
a
low
pandemic
risk.
The
"Situation
Report"
highlights
reported
cases
and
affected
areas
across a
world
map,
while
teams
collaborate
to
analyze
the
effectiveness
of
current
public
health
measures. |
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Microscopic
view of
the
Hantavirus
— a
dangerous
rodent-borne
virus
that can
cause
severe
respiratory
illness
in
humans. |
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Hantavirus
Explained:
What You
Need to
Know
About
the
Latest
Health
Alert
Dr.
Edgar
Williams
-
Primary
Care/Public
Health
Tell Us
USA News
Network
GENEVA/DETROIT/WASHINGTON
- Global
health
authorities
are
monitoring
a rare
and
lethal
outbreak
of
hantavirus
linked
to a
cruise
ship in
the
South
Atlantic,
which
has
claimed
three
lives
and
prompted
a
multi-country
contact-tracing
effort.
Despite
the high
fatality
rate
associated
with the
virus,
the
World
Health
Organization
and the
Centers
for
Disease
Control
and
Prevention
emphasized
today
that the
risk of
a
widespread
pandemic
remains
absolutely
low.
The
cluster
emerged
aboard
the
Dutch-flagged
vessel
Hondius,
which
had been
touring
islands
in the
South
Atlantic
after
departing
Argentina
on April
1.
According
to the
CDC, the
culprit
is the
Andes
virus, a
specific
strain
of
hantavirus
primarily
found in
South
America.
As of
May 8,
2026,
health
officials
have
confirmed
eight
total
cases
and
three
deaths,
representing
a case
fatality
ratio of
nearly
38
percent.
The
first
patient
likely
contracted
the
virus in
early
April
after
traveling
through
Argentina,
Chile,
and
Uruguay,
regions
known
for
hantavirus-carrying
rodents.
Hantaviruses
are
zoonotic,
meaning
they
jump
from
animals
to
humans.
They are
typically
found in
the
saliva,
urine,
and
droppings
of
rodents
like
deer
mice. In
the
Americas,
the
virus
causes
Hantavirus
Pulmonary
Syndrome,
a severe
respiratory
illness
where
the
lungs
fill
with
fluid,
leading
to
cardiovascular
collapse.
This is
a
dangerous
virus to
the
person
who is
infected,
but the
risk to
the
general
population
remains
absolutely
low,
stated
WHO
spokesperson
Christian
Lindmeier.
While
most
hantavirus
strains
require
direct
contact
with
rodent
waste,
the
Andes
strain
is the
only one
known to
allow
limited
human-to-human
transmission
through
close,
prolonged
contact.
The
United
States
has
maintained
a high
state of
vigilance.
Approximately
16
American
passengers
from the
affected
ship
were
transported
to a
federal
quarantine
facility
in
Nebraska,
while
two
others
are
receiving
care in
Atlanta.
Historically,
hantavirus
is rare
in the
U.S.,
with
fewer
than
1,000
cases
reported
since
surveillance
began in
1993.
Most
domestic
cases
are
concentrated
in the
Southwest,
specifically
the Four
Corners
region
of New
Mexico,
Colorado,
Arizona,
and
Utah.
New
Mexico
and
Colorado
lead the
nation
in
documented
cases,
often
spiking
in the
spring
when
residents
clean
out
sheds or
cabins
that
have
been
dormant
over
winter.
Health
experts
stress
that the
general
public
is not
at risk
from the
current
cruise
ship
cluster.
The
primary
threat
remains
local
exposure
to
rodent
infestations.
Recommended
precautions
include
sealing
holes
and gaps
in homes
to
prevent
rodent
entry
and
using a
bleach
solution
to wet
areas
before
cleaning
to avoid
aerosolizing
the
virus.
There
are
currently
no
licensed
vaccines
or
specific
antiviral
treatments
for
Hantavirus
Pulmonary
Syndrome;
however,
early
supportive
care in
an
intensive
care
unit
significantly
improves
survival
rates.
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