Hantavirus, a rare disease often caused by contact with droppings from infected rodents, is suspected in the deaths of three people who were on board a cruise ship sailing the Atlantic Ocean.
Hantavirus is most commonly transmitted by breathing in particles of dried rodent droppings or urine.
In rare cases, it may spread among people, according to the US federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Hantaviruses found throughout the US are not known to spread among people.
At first, hantavirus causes flu-like symptoms, including fever, chills, body aches and headaches. But as the disease progresses, respiratory symptoms develop, and patients can experience shortness of breath and then lung or heart failure.
Here is what to know about hantavirus.
Hantavirus refers to a family of viruses carried by rodents.
It is often transmitted to humans by inhaling particles from dried mouse droppings. The only hantavirus documented to have spread person to person is the Andes virus, found in South America.
“Hantavirus isn’t really a virus that people usually associate with cruise ships,” said Dr Kari Debbink, a teaching professor and virology expert at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
Other viruses, like norovirus, are far more commonly spread on cruise ships, Dr Debbink added.
In North America, Sin Nombre virus is the most common form of this virus, according to Dr Sabra Klein, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
As at the end of 2022, 864 cases of hantavirus disease had been reported in the US since surveys of such cases began in 1993, according to the CDC.
The “classic” case of hantavirus is contracted by someone who has visited a rural cabin that has a rodent infestation, said Dr Emily Abdoler, a doctor and assistant professor of medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School.
Hantavirus can cause flu-like symptoms that appear one to eight weeks after exposure to droppings from an infected rodent.
Later, patients often experience shortness of breath, and then lung or heart failure.
Although there are antivirals that can help manage symptoms, there are no cures specifically for hantavirus, Dr Klein of Johns Hopkins said. That is why prevention is important.
If you live in an area where hantavirus-infected rodents are known to roam, clean any droppings with a wet paper towel. Do not use a vacuum or a broom, which can stir up aerosols from the excrement.
Use gloves and a tight-fitting N95 mask in a well-ventilated space. People should spray the area with a bleach solution or a commercial disinfectant and let it sit for five minutes.
Then, they should clean the area with paper towels, tossing them in a trash can that closes tightly, said Dr Erin Phipps, a veterinarian at the New Mexico Department of Health.
Treatment of hantavirus in the intensive care unit may include intubation and oxygen therapy, fluid replacement and medication to support blood pressure. Sometimes, antiviral drugs are used. NYTIMES
