90-Second Read: Can Hantavirus spread person to person? What experts say after cruise deaths

18 Americans who were passengers aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship, including three New Yorkers, are being monitored at health facilities in the United States on Tuesday. WHO works with countries and partners to strengthen surveillance, laboratory capacity, risk communication and community engagement, early detection, patient care and outbreak response for Hantavirus infections," the organization stated on its website. There have been nine confirmed Hantavirus cases and two suspected cases linked to the cruise as of Monday. The three New Yorkers arrived at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska on Monday and are expected to undergo a 42-day monitoring period, state health officials said. Hantaviruses, according to the World Health Organization, are zoonotic viruses that naturally infect rodents.

Though human-to-human transmission is rare, the WHO has confirmed that the strain at the center of the outbreak is the Andes virus, which is the only strain documented to spread from person-to-person. According to the New York State Department of Health, Hantavirus disease is caused by several different strains of Hantaviruses, which are typically found in rodents around the world. The current Hantavirus outbreak is believed to have started from a Dutch couple aboard the ship, who had gone on a bird-watching trip through Argentina, Chile and Uruguay prior to boarding, Dr. The virus typically spreads through the urine, feces or saliva of infected rodents; it can also occur through less common rodent bites. We don't know whether those individuals will be returning to New York," Hochul said during a.

Here is everything you need to know about Hantavirus in New York, including how the virus is transmitted. The viruses found in North America can cause Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, which is a severe, potentially fatal, lung disease, the health department noted on its website. It can also cause a milder form of the disease, which is known as Non-Pulmonary Hantavirus infection. There is no specific cure, vaccine or treatment for Hantavirus infection, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that it is survivable if medical care is sought early. It is not yet clear how long the New York residents will stay in Nebraska and return to NY, New York State Health Commissioner Dr.

The couple's bird-watching trip included visits to sites where "the species of rat that's known to carry Hantavirus was present. Out of the 18 Americans who were aboard the cruise ship, which includes the three New Yorkers, 15 of them are quarantining at the University of Nebraska's National Quarantine Center and one passenger is at the university's biocontainment unit. The WHO stated that anything involving close contact with rodents, including cleaning enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces, farming, forestry work and sleeping in rodent-infested areas, can increase the exposure risk. Transmission between people usually occurs with close and prolonged contact, typically among household members or intimate partners, according to the WHO. Governor Kathy Hochul said on Monday that the state is coordinating with federal health officials and prepping for any potential.