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

Global agencies, including the WHO, are still monitoring the Hantavirus outbreak on MV Hondius, which infected 11 people and resulted in three deaths. 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. Nearly one in three rodents in northwest US may be infected by deadly virus Nearly one in three rodents in northwest US may be infected by deadly virus From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing.

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. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground.

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. 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. A new study conducted in the Pacific Northwest suggests that nearly one in three rodents, of all types, in Washington and Idaho may be infected with the virus. In future studies, researchers hope to expand the work to understand how often people are exposed and how human behaviour influences infection risk.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. Some 10 per cent of the surveyed rats in the region were actively infected in the past, meaning they were carrying and could potentially shed the virus and infect humans. Scientists warn that disturbing rodent nests can increase the risk of exposure by sending virus particles into the air.