90-Second Read: Special response unit makes Carolina more prepared than most to contain an outbreak like Hantavirus

North Carolina is home to one of just 13 specialized pathogen response centers in the country designed to prepare for rare infectious disease threats and quarantine patients like those infected with Hantavirus after a cruise outbreak. With concerns surrounding a deadly Hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship making headlines, UNC Health infectious disease experts say the average North Carolinian should not panic. The 13 locations were created after the 2014 Ebola outbreak prompted a nationwide effort to strengthen preparedness through the National Special Pathogen System (NSPS), backed by a $21 million federal grant.

However, they say the situation is a reminder of why hospitals and public health agencies across the country have spent years preparing for rare outbreaks before they happen. Two Georgia residents are being monitored for Hantavirus at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, in connection with the MV Hondius outbreak involving the Andes strain. Unlike most Hantaviruses, the Andes strain has been linked to rare cases of person-to-person transmission.

Wohl shared that Hantavirus "isn't nothing," stating that it is a "very bad infection." At the same time, he reiterated, cases are rare in the U.S., with most reported infections occurring in the Southwest. If a rare pathogen, such as Hantavirus, was suspected in North Carolina, Wohl said that local and state health departments would be contacted first. Wohl is part of UNC's Special Pathogen Response Center (SPARC).