90-Second Read: Is Hantavirus contagious? Here's how it spreads and why Andes virus is different

Countries around the world are preparing to deal with the more than 140 passengers and crew members on board a Hantavirus-stricken cruise ship. An outbreak aboard a cruise ship of a rare rodent-borne illness called Hantavirus has left three passengers dead and sickened others, but how dangerous is it? Typically, Hantavirus doesn't spread from human-to-human but in the case of this outbreak, health officials suspect it may be caused by the one strain that can. Countries around the world, including the U.S., are preparing to deal with the more than 140 passengers and crew members on board a Hantavirus-stricken cruise ship where at least three people have died and several others fallen ill. Some scientists believe the Andes virus implicated in the cruise ship outbreak may be able to spread.

The Andes virus is a concerning member of the Hantavirus family. He was the first passenger to die, but it wasn't until May 2 that health authorities first confirmed Hantavirus in a ship passenger. The passengers included a resident of the remote island of Tristan da Cunha who has been hospitalized with symptoms of Hantavirus, according to the British Foreign Office. A flight attendant who had contact with her has tested negative for Hantavirus after reporting symptoms. People are typically exposed to Hantavirus around their homes, cabins or sheds, especially when cleaning enclosed spaces with little ventilation or exploring areas with mouse droppings.

Hantavirus is usually spread by the inhalation of contaminated rodent droppings and isn't easily transmitted between people. The only Hantavirus thought to spread human-to-human, it can cause a severe and often fatal lung disease called Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Hantavirus is mainly spread by contact with rodents or their urine, saliva or droppings, particularly when the material is disturbed and becomes airborne, posing a risk of inhalation. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is fatal in about 35% of people infected, while the death rate for hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome varies from 1% to 15% of patients, according to the CDC. But exactly how contagious is the virus and how does it spread?

Symptoms of Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome usually show between one and eight weeks after contact with an infected rodent. The other syndrome caused by Hantavirus — known as hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, which can cause bleeding, high fever, and kidney failure — usually develops within a week or two after exposure. Cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions and Dutch officials said Thursday that more than two dozen people from at least 12 different countries left the ship at the remote island of St. At least seven Americans who were on the vessel are isolating at home across five states, and none show any symptoms of the virus, according to local health officials. Death rates vary by which Hantavirus causes the illness.