90-Second Read: Shocking number of rodents found to harbour Hantavirus

Nearly one in three rodents in northwest US may be infected by deadly virus Hantavirus, the pathogen responsible for the deadly outbreak on a Dutch cruise ship, could be far more prevalent among rats than previously believed, according to a new study conducted in the US. Hantavirus was thought to spread mainly via contact with infected rodents but one of its types, called the Andes "Sin Nombre" strain, was recently found to show a rare capacity for human-to-human transmission in very close quarters. In all, researchers sampled 189 rodents, including deer mice, voles, and chipmunks, and discovered that the Hantavirus strain infecting rats in the region was different from the Andes strain responsible for the cruise ship outbreak.

Global agencies, including the WHO, are still monitoring the Hantavirus outbreak on MV Hondius, which infected 11 people and resulted in three deaths. The infected people are from 23 different countries across North America, South America, and Europe, prompting them and their neighbours to broaden testing and monitoring for the deadly virus. Hantavirus infects rodents through each other's saliva and direct contact.

To cut the risk of Hantavirus infection, researchers urge people in these areas to ventilate spaces and use wet-cleaning methods. People may be exposed more often than we realise, but severe cases are more likely to be tested for Hantavirus. Even though the risk to the general global population remains low, authorities in places exposed to the outbreak are attempting to survey rats for the virus to understand its prevalence in the wild.