90-Second Read: Could environmental changes affect Hantavirus risk? Duke researchers think so

As officials monitor a rare Hantavirus outbreak, Duke researchers are examining how environmental changes may influence where disease-carrying rodents thrive. As health officials continue monitoring people tied to a rare Hantavirus outbreak, researchers at Duke University say understanding rare diseases may require looking beyond rodents and into the environments where they thrive. As of May 27, 13 Hantavirus cases have been reported in connection with former passengers of the MV Hondius, including three deaths. Researchers found that about 10% of black rats carried Hantavirus.

The study does not suggest farming causes Hantavirus outbreaks. Some American passengers who have not tested positive for Hantavirus may be released from the Nebraska quarantine this week, so long as they continue to quarantine in their own home states for the remaining three weeks. State health leaders say North Carolina is among 13 states with a designated special pathogen unit designed to quarantine people exposed to rare viruses, like Hantavirus. The North Carolina passenger currently in quarantine is expected to remain at the University of Nebraska Medical Center through June 21, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS).

The findings suggest more diverse landscapes could help reduce disease risk. While much of their work focuses on endangered lemurs, the research has expanded to explore how environmental changes may influence disease spread. Researchers say those working landscapes provided an opportunity to study how land use may affect disease-carrying rodent populations. Herrera stressed that the current Hantavirus outbreak remains rare and that most Americans are highly unlikely to encounter the virus.

We came up with this project together to investigate not primates, but small mammals, especially rodents." Herrera continued, "We know that rodents are one of the main species that can be a reservoir for diseases. In short, researchers believe adding more trees around farms and rice fields may help support native wildlife and restore natural controls on rodent populations. Herrera works with teams in both Madagascar and Durham, North Carolina.