### Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship: What You Need to Know
A deadly outbreak of the rare hantavirus has rocked the MV Hondius, a Dutch expedition ship, as it travels from Argentina to Africa. The virus, which has already claimed three lives, is being investigated by global health officials. Here's what you need to know about this emerging health crisis.
#### What is Hantavirus?
Hantavirus is a family of rare but potentially deadly viruses primarily carried by rodents like rats and mice. It can cause two distinct diseases: hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a life-threatening lung and heart disease, and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), which affects blood vessels and kidneys.
#### How is Hantavirus Transmitted?
The virus is transmitted from animals to humans through rodent urine, droppings, or saliva. People usually become infected by breathing in tiny virus particles from the infected rodents' excrements, often in enclosed spaces like cabins, sheds, or poorly ventilated buildings. Although bites or scratches are also possible modes of transmission, they are rare.
#### Symptoms of Hantavirus
Early symptoms include fever, muscle aches, fatigue, and nausea. As the disease progresses, patients develop a cough and breathing problems due to fluid buildup in the lungs. Other symptoms may include intense headaches, fever, chills, blurred vision, or nausea.
#### How Did the Outbreak Start?
A Dutch couple is believed to have contracted the virus in Ushuaia, Argentina, while visiting a landfill during a bird-watching tour before boarding the cruise ship. Five days after the MV Hondius departed from Argentina, a man began showing symptoms of fever, headache, and mild diarrhea. He later died on board due to respiratory problems. His wife also developed gastrointestinal symptoms and died upon arrival at a local hospital in South Africa.
#### Who Died in the Outbreak?
In addition to the couple, a female passenger with "presentation of pneumonia" died on May 2. Prior to her death, she reported symptoms of fever and general discomfort on April 28.
#### How Many People Got Sick?
As of May 7, there were eight reported cases of illness amongst passengers of the MV Hondius, five of which were confirmed as hantavirus. One man who reported shortness of breath and signs of pneumonia on April 24 has been transported to a South African hospital and remains in critical condition.
#### How Many People Were on Board?
The ship was carrying 147 individuals, including 88 passengers and 59 crew members, representing 23 nationalities when it departed from Argentina. The ship was moored off the coast of Cabo Verde on May 4, with doctors and investigators commuting to the cruise by boat.
#### What's Happening on the Cruise Ship?
Passengers have been advised to social distance, wear masks, and sit every other chair in the dining room during meals. Despite the outbreak, the days have been relatively normal for them as they wait for authorities to find a solution. Passengers are keeping themselves busy with reading, watching movies, having hot drinks, and other activities.
#### Has Hantavirus Come to the United States?
No cases have been documented in the U.S. as of May 7. Health departments in Virginia, California, Arizona, Texas, and Georgia are monitoring residents who were passengers on the ship and have returned stateside. Meanwhile, contact tracing has begun for those who may have been in contact with the infected passenger who boarded the Johannesburg flight.
#### How Contagious is Hantavirus?
It’s "extremely rare" for the virus to spread human-to-human. According to the CDC, transmission requires close contact, and the risk to the American public is very low. CDC experts are coordinating with interagency partners, state health offices, and international authorities on response and repatriation planning.
