90-Second Read: How Ebola compares to Hantavirus as Americans "directly affected" withdrawn

A "small number" of Americans have been impacted by the outbreak of Ebola in the DRC, not long after the Hantavirus outbreak. This comes shortly after a Hantavirus outbreak was declared on the MV Hondius cruise ship in April, leaving 41 people across the U.S. under monitoring who were either passengers on board in the ship, or who may have been exposed to the virus indirectly. Though both have high fatality rates, the Ebola virus is being touted as more concerning as it is considered more contagious, and there have already been a higher number of reported cases than the Hantavirus outbreak.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it is assisting those "directly affected" by the outbreak following the World Health Organization's declaration of a public health emergency of international concern. Ebola and Hantavirus are both serious diseases, each with high fatality rates. Hantavirus can cause Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome, which has a fatality rate of 50 percent, while Ebola fatality rates have varied in the past from between 25 to 90 percent, according to the WHO.

The Ebola virus also has a history of rapid outbreak expansion, and often occurs in areas with known transmission challenges, while Hantavirus is thought to be a more containable virus. Symptoms of Hantavirus can take more time to develop in humans than Ebola, from between one to eight weeks after exposure, while symptoms of Ebola tend to present after two to 21 days. While the risk to the American public remains "low," the CDC said, the outbreak is of notable concern given that associated death rates range from 25 to 50 percent, per CDC data.