What Is Hantavirus?

Hantavirus belongs to a family of viruses that are usually spread by rodents, like mice and rats. The virus an also spread when tiny contaminated particles become airborne and are inhaled—particularly while cleaning enclosed areas where rodents have been present.

Hantavirus globally is relatively rare. In the United States, there are usually between 20-40 cases reported annually, according to the CDC.

How Does Hantavirus Spread?

Most commonly, the virus is spread when humans come into direct contact with the saliva, feces or urine of infected rodents. The majority of cases of hantavirus do not spread from human-to-human contact. Those at most risk from contracting the virus include campers, hikers, farmers, construction workers as well as those cleaning long-unused buildings that are infested with rodents.

However, a specific strain of the virus, known as the Andes strain, can be transmitted from person-to-person. This strain is usually present in the South American countries of Argentina and Chile. The World Health Organization has stated the current outbreak on the cruise ship could have had human-to-human spread since the ship left from Argentina, according to reports from BBC.

Symptoms To Look Out For

Initially, hantavirus can appear very similar to the flu, with patients experiencing fever, fatigue, headache and muscle aches. Patients can also have abdominal pain as well as nausea and vomiting. About a week into the illness, some patients may develop more serious symptoms that affect the lung; and that can include chest pain, coughing and shortness of breath. Some patients may even get fluid into their lungs, which can become life threatening requiring oxygen in the hospital and possibly even assistance of breathing with a ventilator. For those that have symptoms that affect the lungs, about 1 in 3 will eventually die, which is why this virus can be dangerous.

Treatment And Prevention

There is no specific treatment that can be used against hantavirus, as there are no antiviral medications that target the virus. For those that become severely ill, treatment at a hospital revolves around supportive care, such as giving fluids to maintain hydration or oxygen to help people breathe more efficiently. Rarely, some patients may need to be put on a ventilator to breathe because they are not able to breathe on their own.

The best treatment is actually prevention, which entails avoiding rodents. This may mean spraying contaminated surfaces with disinfectants and bleach, sealing holes and gaps in homes to prevent rodents from entering and eliminating rodent nesting areas.

Will Hantavirus Cause A Future Pandemic?

There are many factors that contribute to whether or not a virus has the potential to cause a future pandemic. Among the most important factors would include its ability to cause sustained human-to-human transmission, its ability to mutate rapidly for better adaptation into humans as well as the overall immunity of the global population towards the virus in question.

It would be extremely unlikely for the hantavirus to cause a pandemic, given it is rare, most cases do not result in human-to-human spread and it is not a novel virus. Since viruses mutate frequently, the situation of the Atlantic cruise ship needs to be monitored carefully, particularly if the Andes strain has been isolated as a definite cause since this strain can cause human-to-human spread.

Importantly, the cruise ship cases of hantavirus highlight the public health truth that infectious diseases do not respect international borders. Individuals from different countries have been infected, and this allows for the spread of diseases very easily given how connected people have become due to international travel.

Although the public health risk for most people globally remains low, understanding how hantavirus spreads and knowing how to safely clean and avoid rodent exposure could potentially save lives.