90-Second Read: Hantavirus in the U.S.: How easily does the Andes strain spread?

At least six passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship have tested positive for the Andes strain of Hantavirus. Hantavirus is so rare that spread on cruise ships was unheard of until three Hondius passengers were confirmed to have died from the Andes strain this month. Only one of the dozens of Hantavirus strains is known to spread among people: the Andes strain. The latest confirmed cases are all among people who had direct contact with other patients who were on the ship, although concerns about how easily, or not, the Andes strain spreads are growing. Andes is the only type of Hantavirus that can pass from person to person.

While experts maintain that the risk of Hantavirus' spreading widely is extremely low, they say there's still much to learn about the virus and how it infects people. Just 2% to 5% of all Andes cases are estimated to stem from person-to-person transmission. That's one of the things that would limit the spread of the Andes virus," she said, "because it's not in your throat or your nose." It's also why Hantavirus can be dangerous, with a fatality rate of up to 50%. Of the 18 Americans who were on board and are now in quarantine facilities in the U.S., at least three are being closely watched for possible infection. There's no evidence to suggest the Andes strain has changed to make it more infectious, Jackson said.

It's very difficult to spread." It's also possible that the virus can spread between people if they're physically close to one another for an extended period of time. Thirty-four people were sickened after several people with Hantavirus attended a variety of social events, including a birthday party. Jackson said there's no documented evidence that infected people can spread the virus if they don't have any symptoms, like coughing or sneezing. Rachael Lee, chief health care epidemiologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said the problem with Hantavirus is that patients are identified only when they're sick enough to be hospitalized. It has been assumed that the virus is contagious only if someone is in close contact with someone who's having symptoms.

We don't really know too much about transmission from one person to the next." Hantavirus is unlike more infectious viruses, like the flu and Covid, because it tends to settle deeper in the lungs, rather than in the upper airways, said Dr. Jackson of the CDC acknowledged that there's a lot more to learn about Hantavirus. What we're hearing now, including from the doctors who were on the ship, is that at least a few people contracted it without that long, prolonged exposure that we've always assumed," Dr. Brendan Jackson, acting director of the high-consequence pathogens and pathology division at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in an interview Monday that the close quarters of the cruise ship environment seem to be key in this outbreak. There was.