Malik Thompson

Malik adds context when public updates become scattered or confusing.

Articles using this voice

91 90-Second Reads currently use this editorial voice.

The Guardian

90-Second Read: The real reason a Hantavirus disaster was averted | Letters

Jun 19, 11:59 AM EDT

Letters: <strong>Dr Matthew Dryden </strong>praises an astute doctor and the value of teamwork across continents. The astute doctor on Ascension Island recognised a cluster of cases on the MV Hondius when a sick passenger was brought ashore for treatment. Passengers incubating Hantavirus would have disembarked and travelled to their home countries.

Daily Kos

90-Second Read: COVID skeptic RFK Jr. is now cool with forced quarantine

Jun 16, 3:30 PM EDT

The health secretary is forcing an American exposed to Hantavirus on a cruise ship to stay in quarantine against her will at a federal hospital facility in… Right now, at the explicit direction of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Now, a CDC medical review by practicing doctors found that, while Perryman could have contracted the virus despite showing no symptoms, the risk of developing symptoms decreased during the 42-day quarantine period recommended by the World Health Organization. Indeed, the Trump administration has taken an extremely hard line on both Ebola and Hantavirus, lockdowns that go far beyond COVID restrictions and previous outbreaks, and Kennedy is leading the way. In keeping Perryman locked up, Kennedy ignored his own medical experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who said Perryman could quarantine at home.

NATO Association

90-Second Read: Weaponizing Post-COVID Trauma in the New Hantavirus Outbreak

Jun 16, 8:00 AM EDT

Ji Young Kim explores the current Hantavirus outbreak, illustrating how hostile actors weaponize institutional betrayal and post-COVID trauma to disrupt NATO logistics and outline the urgent next steps required. Similarly, health officials have now explicitly told the public that the risk posed by the Hantavirus is low and to not panic. In early May of 2026, there was an outbreak of Hantavirus sweeping Ukrainian military units in the Kharkiv, Sumy, and Lviv regions, causing heavy non-combat losses and casualties among troops. The recent Hantavirus infections making global news are raising comparisons to COVID-19.

CodeBlue

90-Second Read: The Pandemic Time Bomb: Why Ebola, H5N1, Nipah, And Hantavirus Are Warning Us Now — Assoc Prof Dr Vinod Balasubramaniam

Jun 15, 2:04 AM EDT

Nipah virus continues to cause high-fatality outbreaks in Bangladesh and India, with WHO estimating case fatality rates of 40 to 75 per cent and confirming that human infection can occur through contaminated food, animal exposure or close contact with infected people. The most important lesson from Ebola, Nipah, Hantavirus, and H5N1 is not that the next pandemic is inevitable. Nipah, Hantavirus and H5N1 are flashing on the same dashboard. The World Health Organization's (WHO) declaration of the Bundibugyo virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern is not a prediction of another Covid-19 outbreak.

Buenos Aires Times

90-Second Read: No Hantavirus found in Mendoza Province after tests

Jun 12, 3:54 PM EDT

Hantavirus probe in western Mendoza Province did not find any virus-carrying rodents, announces Argentina's Health Ministry. The MV Hondius cruise ship was sailing from Ushuaia in Argentina to Cape Verde when its journey was disrupted after three passengers died following a Hantavirus outbreak. According to the University of Mendoza, the province "currently has no confirmed local circulation of the Andes virus." Tierra del Fuego Province has meanwhile not had a case of Hantavirus since its reporting became mandatory 30 years ago.

Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News

90-Second Read: Hantavirus One-Shot mRNA Vaccine Fully Protects in Syrian Hamster Model

Jun 12, 2:16 PM EDT

A single-dose mRNA vaccine provided complete protection against the deadly Andes Hantavirus infection in the Syrian hamster model. Last month, the Andes virus outbreak on a Dutch cruise ship departing from Argentina brought a transmission context for Hantavirus, that was previously unprecedented, to the forefront. Now, a new report shares the finding that the vaccine provided full protection against the Andes Hantavirus after a single dose. The Andes virus is the only member of the Hantavirus family that is capable of efficient person-to-person spread through close contact with respiratory secretions.

Boing Boing

90-Second Read: Scammers are already using the Hantavirus to fleece people

Jun 11, 5:46 PM EDT

Still, being stuck on a giant boat in the middle of nowhere apparently hasn't stopped some of its passengers from being enterprising… or so it may seem. Wouldn't you like to help out someone stuck in a hard spot thanks to the Hantavirus? How nice of him to connect two dying passengers on that same ship so they can make some friends in their last days.

AOL.com

90-Second Read: Prisoner at San Quentin may have Hantavirus, authorities say

Jun 11, 4:46 PM EDT

The San Quentin Rehabilitation Center confirmed that a 38-year-old inmate at the facility has contracted a possible case of Hantavirus. The situation was first reported on Monday, but the prison confirmed on Wednesday that the illness was being treated as a possible Hantavirus infection. Prison officials said no other potential Hantavirus cases have been identified. Prisons became hotbeds of infection during the Covid-19 pandemic, but person-to-person spread of the Hantavirus is rare A prison in California said on Wednesday that an inmate has possibly contracted Hantavirus.

The Media Line

90-Second Read: Hantavirus: Is it a New Coronavirus?

Jun 11, 9:01 AM EDT

Global panic over Hantavirus has revived fears of […] Global panic over Hantavirus has revived fears of another coronavirus-style outbreak. Hantavirus refers to a group of viruses that primarily live in rodents, especially mice and rats, and are usually transmitted to humans through inhalation of particles contaminated by infected rodents' urine, saliva, or droppings. There are two main forms: one causes Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, while the other causes hemorrhagic fever with kidney failure. The disease is not new and has been known for decades, but it returned to headlines after cases and deaths were reported aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic in 2026.

KNAU

90-Second Read: White House's response to Hantavirus and Ebola is at odds with COVID criticisms

Jun 11, 4:47 AM EDT

The second Trump administration, the current one, has imposed tough restrictions to prevent the spread of Ebola and Hantavirus, and that is a departure from the first Trump administration's response to COVID. JHA: And yet in response to the Hantavirus and Ebola, this administration has chosen to impose very draconian and extreme public health measures. HODGE: What we did experience post-COVID, rejecting authoritarian or strict or very heavy-handed public health interventions, have been somewhat abandoned by this administration, at least in response to Hantavirus.

The Indian Express

90-Second Read: From Hantavirus to Ebola, pandemic preparedness must become broader

Jun 10, 8:50 PM EDT

The Hantavirus outbreak revealed strong downstream hospital care but weaker front-end preparedness, particularly in recognising and managing an unexpected pathogen in an unusual setting. The Hantavirus outbreak also revealed how many zoonotic pathogens still lack deeply developed preparedness ecosystems, particularly for unusual scenarios. Global preparedness remains strongest against crises the world has repeatedly confronted, Ebola, and weakest against novel events such as the Hantavirus.

OkDiario

90-Second Read: Experts say Hantavirus is likely not the next COVID, and the twist is the specific reason it behaves differently even when headlines feel familiar

Jun 8, 8:45 AM EDT

A rare Hantavirus outbreak tied to the MV Hondius cruise ship has killed three people and sent health officials searching across borders for anyone who may have been exposed. As of May 27, 2026, officials had reported 13 cases, including 11 confirmed and two probable infections, all among passengers or crew members. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a Health Alert Network advisory on May 8, 2026, told clinicians to watch for imported cases, and said broad spread in the United States was considered extremely unlikely.

Yahoo News Malaysia

90-Second Read: Experts refute claims Hantavirus derived name from Hebrew for 'nonsense'

Jun 5, 4:38 AM EDT

Covid-style misinformation continues to swirl online around a deadly outbreak of the rare Hantavirus aboard an Atlantic cruise ship, including false claims the name of the rodent-borne disease was der... Hantavirus was named after the Hantan River in South Korea, where the first major outbreak was recorded in the 1950s. In Indonesia, the health ministry said there were 256 suspected Hantavirus cases in several provinces from 2024 to 2026, with 23 cases of HFRS confirmed ( archived link ). Covid-era conspiracies resurged on social media following the global scare sparked by a Hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship from Argentina to Cape Verde (archived here and here ).

Bernama

90-Second Read: Hantavirus Not New Pandemic Threat But Risks Should Not Be Ignored - Specialist

Jun 4, 3:22 AM EDT

In the Americas, certain Hantavirus strains can cause Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), a severe condition involving fluid accumulation in the lungs that may lead to breathing difficulties and respiratory failure. According to Dr Lee, Hantavirus infections are commonly linked to exposure to environments contaminated by infected rodents, like rats and mice and the virus may spread when tiny particles from rodent urine, saliva or droppings become airborne and inhaled. Although Malaysia has not reported any Hantavirus outbreaks, the recent global attention to the virus serves as an important reminder that rodent-borne infections should not be overlooked.

respiratory-therapy.com

90-Second Read: COVID-19 Travel Lessons for Hantavirus, Ebola

Jun 3, 10:41 PM EDT

Recent outbreaks of Hantavirus and Ebolavirus raise concerns about risks linked to travel, with responses varying between countries. With the upcoming World Cup poised to drive a surge in Canadian tourism, recent Hantavirus and Ebola virus outbreaks remind us of the need to effectively manage travel-related public health risks in a world on the move. Recent outbreaks of Hantavirus among passengers of the MV Hondius cruise ship, and Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, have raised concerns about risks associated with travel. As researchers on the Pandemics and Borders Project, we have spent the past six years studying the use of international travel measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and other global public health emergencies.

Dubawa

90-Second Read: Verifying viral odd claims about Hantavirus on social media

Jun 2, 1:44 PM EDT

Amid rising concerns about Hantavirus, DUBAWA observed that some social media accounts engaged in rage-baiting by posting odd, unrealistic claims about the virus, distracting users from real, valuable information. A claim went viral on social media in the first week of May, 2026, with some social media users claiming the Hantavirus can make the penis shrink by 3 inches. When DUBAWA traced the claim to its source on social media, we found it was first posted by Ragebait Media on May 6, just 4 days after the first report of the Hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship. According to the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Hantaviruses are a family of viruses spread mainly by rodents.

azcentral.com and The Arizona Republic

90-Second Read: Arizona resident dies from Hantavirus

Jun 1, 5:44 PM EDT

A northwestern Arizona resident has died from Hantavirus, according to the Mohave County Department of Public Health and Arizona Department of Health Services. According to the health departments, the person developed Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. According to the CDC, Arizona had 92 cases of Hantavirus between 1993 and 2023.

Denver Gazette

90-Second Read: Hantavirus, ebola and other pandemics yet to come | Pius Kamau

May 31, 8:00 AM EDT

The first Colorado death from Hantavirus since 2024 occurred in May 2026. Saddened, fascinated, we watched as an outbreak of Hantavirus infection unfolded over weeks on the Dutch flagged Hondius cruise ship as it sailed across the Atlantic Ocean. Much of the information about world Hantavirus disease is coordinated and reported by the World Health Organization. Three passengers died, and several others fell severely ill, and had to be evacuated to hospitals after the ship docked in Spain's Canary Islands.

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

90-Second Read: Planes, trains and pandemics: Lessons from COVID‑19 about travel risks posed by Hantavirus and Ebola

May 28, 10:09 AM EDT

Yahoo News UK

90-Second Read: Old Taiwan Hantavirus death falsely shared as recent

May 28, 12:41 AM EDT

Taiwan had not recorded a death from the rodent-borne Hantavirus disease in early May 2026, contrary to false online posts that surfaced shortly after Taipei's mayor announced a pest control drive in... Taiwan records sporadic Hantavirus infections annually, but the latest death was logged in January, with two other reported infections as of May 27. All domestically acquired and imported Hantavirus cases reported in Taiwan involved the Seoul virus, which is associated with lower severity and fatality rates than the Andes virus, according to the CDC (archived here and here ). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), including the three people who were killed on the cruise ship, a total of 12 cases have been reported as of May 22 ( archived link ).

Medical Xpress

90-Second Read: Planes, trains and pandemics: Lessons from COVID‑19 about travel risks posed by Hantavirus and Ebola

May 27, 11:20 AM EDT

With the upcoming World Cup poised to drive a surge in Canadian tourism, recent Hantavirus and Ebola virus outbreaks remind us of the need to effectively manage travel-related public health risks in a world on the move. Recent outbreaks of Hantavirus among passengers of the MV Hondius cruise ship, and Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, have raised concerns about risks associated with travel. Rapid response to travel-related risks of Hantavirus was adequately resourced, globally coordinated and appears so far to have balanced the need for protecting the health of MV Hondius passengers while preventing the wider health-harming spread of disease. As researchers on the Pandemics and Borders Project, we have spent the past six years studying the use of international travel measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and other global public health emergencies.

Toronto Star

90-Second Read: Opinion | Why are we repeating the same mistakes with Hantavirus that we made with COVID-19?

May 27, 5:00 AM EDT

When a Hantavirus outbreak struck a Dutch cruise ship earlier this month, human transmission was confidently downplayed based on scant knowledge and a prayer that the virus isn't airborne. In other words, the response created multiple preventable opportunities for Hantavirus to evolve and spread, just as COVID-19 once did. But the question remains: Why is public health repeating its mistakes? Physicians in public health often repeat mistakes that, ironically, might've seemed obvious to non-experts.

Yahoo

90-Second Read: Repatriation flight video falsely shared as evidence of staged Hantavirus crisis

May 27, 2:58 AM EDT

Video showing passengers of a Hantavirus stricken ship preparing to board a repatriation flight has been seized on by social media users falsely claiming the presence of an individual without protecti... The circulating posts betray a lack of understanding of how the disease can spread, and the video shared by these posts corresponds to news footage of the complex repatriation operation carried out in Tenerife. The Hantavirus outbreak has reawakened dormant conspiracy theories about health crises, including claims debunked by AFP about evacuations being staged and involved crisis actors. Twelve suspected and confirmed cases have been reported to the World Health Organization (WHO), including three deaths ( archived link ).

The Conversation

90-Second Read: Planes, trains and pandemics: Lessons from COVID-19 about travel risks posed by Hantavirus and Ebola

May 26, 4:23 PM EDT

The Globe and Mail

90-Second Read: Opinion: Should we care about far away outbreaks of infectious disease?

May 25, 12:53 PM EDT

Gradel Muyisa Mumbere/Reuters Within two weeks, the world was hit by two rare disease outbreaks. Opinion: The Hantavirus outbreak should be Canada's wake-up call The principal lesson we can take from the response to Andes Hantavirus and Bundibugyo Ebola is that surveillance systems are still lacking. Canadians should care about these outbreaks not because they are a direct threat, but because a collective, compassionate response benefits us all. Passengers on a cruise ship were sickened by Andes Hantavirus, and residents of the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo and nearby Uganda threatened by Bundibugyo Ebola.

The Good Men Project

90-Second Read: Hantavirus Outbreak Shows We Haven’t Learned the Lesson of Sars-1 or COVID-19

May 24, 4:01 AM EDT

On May 8th, the World Health Organization (WHO) came out with recommendations for health-care workers dealing with patients with known or suspected Andes Hantavirus. It increases the chance that an outbreak, that could otherwise be managed adequately at an early stage, spreads further with very serious consequences for those infected. Maybe this outbreak won't be the one that initiates a pandemic.

Washington Examiner

90-Second Read: COVID patients died in crowded hospitals while ICU beds sat unused. Hantavirus could expose same flaw

May 23, 6:00 AM EDT

The deaths from a Hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship have set off an international scramble over the past month to trace hundreds of passengers. But the question we should be asking is not whether the Hantavirus outbreak becomes the next pandemic. During the height of the pandemic, more than 15,000 deaths from COVID could have been prevented in April 2020 if those patients had access to an ICU bed. This problem is known as load imbalance: different hospitals in a region simultaneously at overcapacity and undercapacity with no systems to match patients to available resources.

The Guardian

90-Second Read: Digested week: memories of Covid resurface with Hantavirus and Ebola news

May 22, 7:54 AM EDT

As darkening news from central Africa throws the withdrawal of US international aid into terrible relief, so we revisit memories of those early months of 2020 when reports of a strange virus in China slowly crept from final item on the news list to blaring emergency. Six years later and they adopt a tone of fond, ancient mariner-like nostalgia, which on closer inspection involves no actual memories, not of an empty Broadway, nor the field hospital in Central Park, nor the sound of sirens echoing through the city. Still, Travolta is a legend, which buys him leverage for this kind of whimsy and seems obliquely connected to some of his other gestures over the years, like parking that Boeing 707 he bought outside his front door and sticking with Scientology.

The Cavalier Daily

90-Second Read: Hantavirus is not a repeat of the COVID-19 pandemic, University experts say

May 22, 12:16 AM EDT

Hantaviruses, a group of viruses carried by rodents, are contracted through exposure to rodent urine, fecal matter, saliva and in rarer cases, bites or scratches. The Andes strain, the variant diagnosed among the Hondius passengers, is the only Hantavirus with the ability to spread through human-to-human contact, causing Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome. He encouraged University students to heed Hantavirus with caution, yet with confidence, and emphasized that health professionals have the resources necessary to keep it contained.

Firstpost

90-Second Read: Covid, Hantavirus, ebola… post-outbreak rush can’t protect people: Virologist on pandemic scare

May 21, 11:29 PM EDT

As health authorities scramble to track and treat suspected cases, virologist Emma Thomson has said that the surging Hantavirus and ebola outbreaks have exposed weaknesses in the global public health response. As health authorities race against time to track and treat suspected patients, virologist Emma Thomson has said spiralling Hantavirus and ebola virus outbreaks have laid bare flaws in the global approach to public health. ALSO READ: Hantavirus not a pandemic risk, but 'Disease X' could catch world unprepared In the DRC, ebola circulated undetected for weeks as health authorities did not test for strains other than the dominant Zaire.

Quiver Quantitative

90-Second Read: NIH Infectious Disease Chief Steps Down Amid Ebola and Hantavirus Response Concerns

May 21, 3:50 PM EDT

Lawmakers raised concerns over leadership gaps during the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and ongoing Hantavirus monitoring efforts. Moderna ($MRNA), Federal infectious disease priorities and NIH funding decisions can impact vaccine and outbreak-response partnerships. Pfizer ($PFE), NIH and public health policy shifts may affect infectious disease research collaboration and funding.

The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint

90-Second Read: The World’s Reaction to Hantavirus is Tinged by Echoes of Something Else: COVID

May 21, 1:19 PM EDT

And in recent days, another one has made itself known in the wake of a rare Hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship: the fear, despite official reassurances, that it might be happening again. But in a post-COVID-19 world, it didn't take long before questions and concerns surfaced about disease spread in the days immediately following the first reports that three people had died from Hantavirus on the ship. Since then, there have been reports of 11 Hantavirus cases around the world linked to the cruise, according to the World Health Organization, and that includes the deaths. But the flourishing of fear, whether on a personal or societal level, can also be an indicator that something else is missing.

Medical Xpress

90-Second Read: High prevalence of Hantavirus in some areas of the Pacific Northwest

May 21, 11:40 AM EDT

The Sin Nombre virus, a Hantavirus that can cause a deadly respiratory disease in humans, may be more widespread among rodent populations in parts of the Pacific Northwest than previously recognized. Hantavirus has been in the headlines because of an outbreak of Andes virus on a cruise ship. While rare, Andes virus, which is found in South America and is a different species than SNV, is the only Hantavirus known to spread between people. The study, which was led by researchers in Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, was published in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal.

University of Alberta

90-Second Read: Ebola and Hantavirus outbreaks highlight need for global pandemic preparedness, says virologist

May 21, 7:10 AM EDT

An antiviral expert at the University of Alberta warns more needs to be done to prepare for global outbreaks of deadly viruses like Ebola and Hantavirus because they are constantly changing and adapting to human defences. This week, the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern as more than 600 cases and 139 deaths from Ebola were reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Meanwhile, passengers from a Dutch cruise ship, including four Canadians, continue to be isolated and monitored following an outbreak of a rare human-to-human transmitted strain of Hantavirus first identified in early May and leading to three deaths. Götte stresses that while the threat to Canadians from both outbreaks is minimal, they serve as a reminder that not all of the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic have been learned.

The MIT Press Reader

90-Second Read: Pleasure, Plague, and Panic: Why Cruise Ship Outbreaks Still Haunt Us

May 21, 5:55 AM EDT

Only a few thousand cases of Hantavirus infection are reported each year in Europe, according to the World Health Organization's estimate. Some may argue that this is an aftereffect of the COVID-19 pandemic and the symbolic, if not epidemiologically significant, role that cruise ship outbreaks played in it. Before this event, the metaphor of cruise ships as "floating petri dishes" had been used to describe gastrointestinal outbreaks on board, without indicating them as a risk to off-board public health. Sénégal to Hantavirus on the MV Hondius, contagions at sea carry symbolic force far beyond their case counts.

NPR

90-Second Read: COVID is shaping Americans' reaction to Ebola and Hantavirus

May 21, 5:00 AM EDT

Some Americans seem to be extra-alarmed about Ebola and Hantavirus in the wake of COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic is shaping how many Americans are reacting to Ebola and Hantavirus. Drew Angerer/Getty Images hide caption Global health emergencies are back in the headlines, with recent outbreaks of Hantavirus on a cruise ship and Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

the Metropolitan student newspaper

90-Second Read: Hantavirus vs. COVID-19: Why the Public Response & News Coverage Look So Different

May 21, 1:03 AM EDT

As headlines surrounding the recent Hantavirus outbreak aboard the expedition cruise ship MV Hondius began circulating internationally, many people immediately drew comparisons to the early days of COVID-19. The reporting surrounding Hantavirus has been far more restrained as coverage has largely focused on confirmed facts: Unlike COVID era reporting, there has been less public panic, fewer emergency declarations, and significantly more caution regarding speculation. In the Hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius, health officials have not publicly released a full passenger or crew manifest, nor detailed medical information on every person aboard.

The Guardian

90-Second Read: The Ebola and Hantavirus outbreaks warn us we must be better prepared if we are to prevent the next pandemic

May 20, 8:47 PM EDT

The Hantavirus outbreak on a cruise expedition in the south Atlantic played out slowly. Three weeks passed between the death of one passenger on 11 April and the linkage to Hantavirus on 2 May. An Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention report last Friday cited 65 deaths and more than 260 cases of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, concentrated in the remote province of Ituri, bordering Uganda and South Sudan. Communities there endured two years of the DRC's worst Ebola outbreak yet, which ended only in 2020.

Public Health Communication Centre

90-Second Read: The Hantavirus outbreak is the warning the world needs to improve pandemic preparedness

May 20, 7:04 PM EDT

The Hantavirus outbreak highlights the need for Aotearoa New Zealand to strengthen pandemic preparedness, support coordinated international health measures and invest in research and prevention of zoonotic spillover. The Hantavirus outbreak is the warning the world needs to improve pandemic preparedness. The World Health Organization's ( WHO ) rapid international response and the Hantavirus' transmission dynamics are important factors in preventing the outbreak from becoming a global pandemic. Fortunately, the outbreak appears to have been contained because the virus spreads relatively inefficiently between people and because coordinated national and international public health measures, supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), were effective.

FOX 5 Atlanta

90-Second Read: Sheriff: Man threatened Walmart mass shooting if Hantavirus led to lockdown

May 20, 5:17 PM EDT

An Arkansas man is facing felony charges after authorities say he threatened to carry out a mass shooting at a Walmart if the country went into another lockdown because of the Hantavirus. The CDC is monitoring 41 people for potential Hantavirus exposure. What to know as Congo outbreak worsens Investigators with the sheriff's office obtained a search warrant for Bynum's residence on May 14, along with a probable cause affidavit for his arrest. According to Marion County Sheriff Gregg Alexander, Aaron Keith Bynum was taken into custody on charges of first-degree terroristic threatening, a Class D felony, and harassing communications, a Class A misdemeanor.

NDTV Profit

90-Second Read: Hantavirus, Ebola Show Risk Preparedness Lagging Despite Improved Crisis Response: Pandemic Expert

May 20, 8:01 AM EDT

Former New Zealand Prime Minister and pandemic preparedness expert Helen Clark has warned that recent Ebola and Hantavirus outbreaks have exposed serious gaps in the world's ability to detect health threats early, despite improvements in emergency response systems after Covid-19. Referring to the recent Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship in the Atlantic, Clark said authorities reacted quickly once alerts were issued. The Hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship, which reportedly caused three deaths, has raised concerns because the virus is already known to exist in the part of Argentina where the ship started its journey. Calling for stronger 'risk-informed preparedness', Helen Clark urged governments and health agencies to identify potential threats early and prepare for them before they worsen.

Fierce Biotech

90-Second Read: Pfizer furthers pneumococcal efforts, remains ‘comfortable’ taking on emerging threats: vaccine chief

May 20, 5:05 AM EDT

As Pfizer endeavors to stymie a suite of bacterial infections, the COVID-19 vaccine maker continues to keep an eye on emerging public health threats. At the International Society of Pneumonia and Pneumococcal Diseases conference in Copenhagen, Pfizer revealed that its next-gen candidate, mellifluously named PF-07872412 or 25vPnC, produced stronger immune responses than the approved 20-variant vaccine Prevnar 20. Pfizer's ultimate goal is to make a vaccine that hits 35 pneumococcus variants, known as serotypes, to cover 98% or 99% of all infections, the drugmaker's vaccine R&D chief Annaliesa Anderson, Ph.D., told Fierce Biotech. Wyeth, which Pfizer acquired in 2009 for a whopping $68 billion, released its first pneumococcal vaccine, effective against seven variants of the bacteria, in 2000.

Yahoo News Malaysia

90-Second Read: Old Moderna research triggers false Hantavirus claims online

May 19, 10:50 PM EDT

A Hantavirus outbreak aboard an Atlantic cruise ship has revived Covid-era conspiracies, with posts falsely alleging an old Moderna Hantavirus research project proves the disease was a "hoax" designed... Similar false claims ricocheted in Chinese, Dutch and English posts, with some alleging Hantavirus " does not exist " and the deadly outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship was " pre-planned " ( archived link ). AFP has previously debunked other false claims about the Hantavirus. The posts echo falsehoods peddled by opponents of coronavirus jabs, including that the Covid-19 pandemic was manufactured to benefit vaccine makers such as Moderna or to serve a so-called " depopulation " agenda.

PantherNOW

90-Second Read: No, Hantavirus Isn’t Becoming Another COVID-19, Infectious Disease Expert Says

May 19, 6:07 PM EDT

Despite growing global concerns about another pandemic, experts say Hantavirus isn't the next COVID-19 many are expecting. Orthohantavirus, better known as Hantavirus, is a genus of zoonotic viruses primarily found in rodents that, in humans, can cause severe, life-threatening diseases. Infection with Hantavirus can result in severe and potentially fatal diseases that vary by geographical location.

Medical Xpress

90-Second Read: The Hantavirus outbreak is the warning the world needs to improve pandemic preparedness

May 19, 12:40 PM EDT

The latest case of a Canadian passenger testing positive shows the Hantavirus outbreak isn't over yet. The World Health Organization's ( WHO ) rapid international response and the Hantavirus' transmission dynamics are important factors in preventing the outbreak from becoming a global pandemic. Previous Hantavirus outbreaks have been eliminated through these simple public health measures. More than 120 passengers from the stricken cruise ship MV Hondius are now being monitored in their home regions, including five Australians and a New Zealander who will remain in quarantine for three weeks in a facility near Perth.

The Conversation

90-Second Read: The Hantavirus outbreak is the warning the world needs to improve pandemic preparedness

May 18, 6:09 PM EDT

While the Hantavirus outbreak will likely be eliminated, it highlights persistent gaps in global pandemic prevention, preparedness and response measures. The latest case of a Canadian passenger testing positive shows the Hantavirus outbreak isn't over yet. The World Health Organization's ( WHO ) rapid international response and the Hantavirus' transmission dynamics are important factors in preventing the outbreak from becoming a global pandemic. More than 120 passengers from the stricken cruise ship MV Hondius are now being monitored in their home regions, including five Australians and a New Zealander who will remain in quarantine for three weeks in a facility near Perth.

The Week

90-Second Read: Hantavirus: Are we ready for another pandemic?

May 18, 4:29 PM EDT

Two weeks ago, news broke that three people aboard the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius had died of suspected Hantavirus, a respiratory disease with no cure or vaccine. But Trump also hoped it would be fine in February 2020, when passengers on another ship, the Diamond Princess, started dying from Covid-19. But "this likely isn't the opening scene for a bigger, scarier movie." The human-transmissible strain of Hantavirus is not very infectious, requiring prolonged contact with someone already suffering symptoms.

Al Jazeera

90-Second Read: Ebola, Hantavirus: Is the world prepared for the next pandemic?

May 18, 9:14 AM EDT

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that an Ebola outbreak in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is a "public health emergency of international concern", setting off alarm bells around the world. But as the WHO faces a funding crisis, is the world better prepared now if another pandemic occurs, or could it be even less so? Following the recent Hantavirus outbreak, passengers and crew members from more than 20 countries on the affected cruise ship, MV Hondius, required coordinated monitoring, contact tracing, medical evacuation, and public health guidance across borders. The WHO's announcement on Sunday came as several countries are battling to contain a Hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship trip to South America.

Forbes

90-Second Read: No, Hantavirus Is Not COVID-26 And Other Misinformation Being Spread

May 18, 6:34 AM EDT

The Andes virus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship has led to lots of misinformation and disinformation about the Hantavirus. By now you've probably heard about the Hantavirus outbreak, you know the spread of the Andes type of Hantavirus on the MV Hondius cruise ship that's resulted in nine humans infected with three deaths so far. Since 2020, seemingly each time another infectious outbreak occurs, whether it's COVID-19, mPox, measles or now Hantavirus, unsupported claims that ivermectin is the answer have quickly emerged as well. Speaking of the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of social media posts have been trying to somehow equate Hantaviruses to COVID-19.

New York Post

90-Second Read: Arkansas man allegedly threatened to carry out mass shooting at Walmart if Hantavirus outbreak caused lockdown

May 17, 10:11 PM EDT

An Arkansas man allegedly threatened to shoot up his local Walmart if the ongoing Hantavirus outbreak were to cause a coronavirus-era lockdown. Bynum allegedly told other players that he would open fire inside his nearest local Walmart "if the country were locked down again due to the Hantavirus." Another gamer on the server reported the threat to the FBI's National Threats Operations Center on May 9. Early reports of the outbreak caused widespread panic over the fear of a new pandemic, but health officials have stressed that there is no need for major concern.

news8000.com

90-Second Read: Hantavirus outbreak tests post-COVID health communications playbook

May 17, 7:30 AM EDT

A Hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship is reviving COVID-era anxiety online and testing how health officials communicate risk. With a deadly Hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius now confirmed across multiple countries and Americans evacuated to biocontainment facilities, health officials are issuing new guidance for US travelers. The cruise ship Hantavirus narrative has not helped, echoing the infamous outbreak on the Diamond Princess docked off Japan early in the COVID pandemic in 2020, where 14 people died and nearly a quarter of the 3,000 passengers and crew became infected. Personnel in hazmat suits walk near a plane carrying passengers evacuated from the cruise ship MV Hondius, which was affected by a Hantavirus outbreak, after it landed May 12 at Eindhoven Air Base in Eindhoven, Netherlands.

Arizona Daily Star

90-Second Read: Hantavirus outbreak tests post-COVID health communications playbook

May 17, 7:30 AM EDT

Left Voice

90-Second Read: Hantavirus, Capitalism, and the Spectre of Covid-19

May 16, 11:18 AM EDT

There have now been 11 confirmed cases of Hantavirus connected to an outbreak from the luxury cruise ship MV Hondius, which departed Argentina on April 1. It's also no surprise that people are concerned, particularly since we are just six years out from the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, which showed us exactly how capitalism and the ruling class respond to pandemics. As the Hantavirus situation plays out, officials around the world, including in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, have repeatedly tried to reassure the public, downplaying the risk of large-scale spread.

San Francisco Chronicle

90-Second Read: A rare Hantavirus outbreak isn’t the next COVID. Experts still see warning signs

May 16, 7:03 AM EDT

The Hantavirus cruise ship outbreak is unlikely to spread widely, experts say, but has renewed concerns about the nation's ability to fight future pandemics. But unlike those viruses, Hantavirus does not spread easily from person to person, and past experience has shown that outbreaks can be contained with basic public health protocols like quarantine and isolation. Still, though this Hantavirus is highly unlikely to tip over into a pandemic, the U.S. reaction to the outbreak so far is giving public health experts a concerning glimpse into the country's preparedness, or lack thereof, to fend off the next infectious disease.

Scientific American

90-Second Read: How to arm yourself against Hantavirus misinformation

May 15, 1:30 PM EDT

COVID trauma and social media algorithms may be to blame The Hantavirus outbreak is reviving some of the worst COVID conspiracies Hantavirus misinformation is spreading fast. Since the first cases of Hantavirus on the MV Hondius cruise ship were reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) on May 2, misinformation has rapidly flooded the Internet. Though public health officials have said the Hantavirus outbreak poses a low risk to the public, fear is its own kind of contagion. Hantavirus-related misinformation is "operating not like isolated rumors but more like a standing online ecosystem," says Katrine Wallace, an epidemiologist at the University of Illinois Chicago.

New York Magazine

90-Second Read: A COVID-Conspiracist Erection Expert Is Leading Our Hantavirus Response

May 15, 11:30 AM EDT

HHS official Brian Christine, a urologist and former host of 'Erection Connection' who led a U.S. Hantavirus press conference, platformed far-right conspiracies about COVID and the 2020 election on his podcast, according to a new CNN report. In addition to his Common Sense podcast, CNN noted, he previously hosted a urology-focused YouTube show, entitled Erection Connection, focused on erectile dysfunction. The risk of Hantavirus to the general public remains very, very low.

New York Post

90-Second Read: Contagious Hantavirus strain may stay in human sperm for six years — and turn into an STI

May 15, 10:23 AM EDT

As health officials in various countries continued to monitor the effects of the rare Andes strain of Hantavirus, a disturbing truth about its long-term transmissibility has emerged. A peer-reviewed study found that Hantavirus can survive in human semen for up to six years and can be sexually transmitted even after a patient has fully recovered. Publishing in the journal Viruses, researchers from the Spiez Laboratory in Switzerland looked at a 55-year-old man who had been infected with the Andes strain six years prior to the study. Because sperm is required to prorate, the body's immune system won't attack them.

Le Monde.fr

90-Second Read: Lessons from Covid-19 in the era of Hantavirus

May 15, 6:43 AM EDT

But the alarm raised by Hantavirus transmission should be used as an opportunity to finally get the global agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response back on track. T he Hantavirus outbreak discovered aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius naturally rekindled fears of a devastating pandemic. This response, the assessment of available resources and the transparency shown by health authorities in France have fortunately demonstrated that lessons were learned from the Covid-19 pandemic. The 26 contact cases identified in France (passengers from the MV Hondius and contacts of a Dutch passenger who died from the infection) tested negative as of Thursday, May 14.

Your Local Epidemiologist

90-Second Read: Something deeper than Hantavirus

May 15, 6:31 AM EDT

Journalists, researchers, and neighborhood moms asking the same thing: Should we be worried about this Hantavirus thing? Right now, the outbreak remains contained, and 41 people are being actively monitored in the U.S. Risk remains low for a number of reasons previously covered. The Hantavirus response is evidence that the learnings of Covid-19 stuck.

University of California

90-Second Read: Could Hantavirus spread like COVID-19?

May 14, 7:49 PM EDT

As health officials continue monitoring a Hantavirus outbreak tied to the Dutch expedition cruise ship MV Hondius, many people are asking the same question: Could this spread more broadly? The outbreak involves the Andes strain, a rare form of the virus that can spread between people through close contact, though public health officials say the overall risk to the public remains low. There are still unanswered questions about person-to-person spread with this strain, and public health agencies will be following cases closely.

Prevention

90-Second Read: Infectious Disease Doctors Explain Why the Hantavirus Outbreak Is Different From COVID-19

May 14, 5:20 PM EDT

To date, 11 people have either had a confirmed or suspected case of Hantavirus linked to the cruise ship outbreak, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Ph.D., director-general for the World Health Organization (WHO) shared in a press conference on Tuesday. The form of Hantavirus behind the outbreak is the Andes virus, which is slightly different from other forms of Hantavirus. However, the CDC lists these as the most current signs of a COVID-19 infection: The Andes Hantavirus can cause different symptoms, depending on the stage of the virus someone is in, per the CDC.

New Haven Independent

90-Second Read: Expert: Hantavirus Not A Covid Rerun

May 14, 3:49 PM EDT

The recent Hantavirus outbreak on an Argentine cruise ship that killed three people won't turn into a mass pandemic like Covid-19. The lethal Andes strain on Hantavirus, which caused the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak, hasn't mutated the way Covid-19 strains did and doesn't spread fast the way Covid did. Is [the Hantavirus] more like Ebola and SARS 1, where it was a deadly, horrible virus, but not a mass event? Based on what we're seeing, [the Hantavirus] is just not nearly as contagious.

Rogue Valley Times

90-Second Read: Bend doctor tells CNN he tested positive for Hantavirus

May 14, 1:30 PM EDT

A retired Bend doctor who was on a cruise ship where three people died after contracting the Hantavirus says he too has tested positive for the dangerous virus. Health authorities say it is the first Hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship. Now, he is one of 18 Americans under observation at specialized healthcare facilities designed to treat people with dangerous infectious diseases after three people died and others were sickened by a Hantavirus outbreak aboard the ship.

KJCT

90-Second Read: The world’s reaction to Hantavirus is tinged by echoes of COVID

May 14, 11:48 AM EDT

And in recent days, another one has made itself known in the wake of a rare Hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship: the fear, despite official reassurances, that it might be happening again. In fact, there have been outbreaks of the current strain of Hantavirus in some South American countries through the decades, like one in 1997 in Chile. But in a post-COVID-19 world, it didn't take long before questions and concerns surfaced about disease spread in the days immediately following the first reports that three people had died from Hantavirus on the ship. They're the ones we carry inside us, grief over lost loved ones, chronic health conditions, the sense of lives interrupted.

WFLX

90-Second Read: The world’s reaction to Hantavirus is tinged by echoes of COVID

May 14, 11:23 AM EDT

And in recent days, another one has made itself known in the wake of a rare Hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship: the fear, despite official reassurances, that it might be happening again. In fact, there have been outbreaks of the current strain of Hantavirus in some South American countries through the decades, like one in 1997 in Chile. But in a post-COVID-19 world, it didn't take long before questions and concerns surfaced about disease spread in the days immediately following the first reports that three people had died from Hantavirus on the ship. They're the ones we carry inside us, grief over lost loved ones, chronic health conditions, the sense of lives interrupted.

WDBJ7

90-Second Read: The world’s reaction to Hantavirus is tinged by echoes of COVID

May 14, 10:35 AM EDT

And in recent days, another one has made itself known in the wake of a rare Hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship: the fear, despite official reassurances, that it might be happening again. In fact, there have been outbreaks of the current strain of Hantavirus in some South American countries through the decades, like one in 1997 in Chile. But in a post-COVID-19 world, it didn't take long before questions and concerns surfaced about disease spread in the days immediately following the first reports that three people had died from Hantavirus on the ship. They're the ones we carry inside us, grief over lost loved ones, chronic health conditions, the sense of lives interrupted.

KOLO | 8 News Now

90-Second Read: The world’s reaction to Hantavirus is tinged by echoes of COVID

May 14, 10:35 AM EDT

And in recent days, another one has made itself known in the wake of a rare Hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship: the fear, despite official reassurances, that it might be happening again. In fact, there have been outbreaks of the current strain of Hantavirus in some South American countries through the decades, like one in 1997 in Chile. But in a post-COVID-19 world, it didn't take long before questions and concerns surfaced about disease spread in the days immediately following the first reports that three people had died from Hantavirus on the ship. They're the ones we carry inside us, grief over lost loved ones, chronic health conditions, the sense of lives interrupted.

AP News

90-Second Read: The world’s reaction to Hantavirus is tinged by echoes of something else: COVID

May 14, 7:17 AM EDT

Passengers board a plane bound for Eindhoven, after disembarking from the Hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius at the airport in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, Monday, May 11, 2026. And in recent days, another one has made itself known in the wake of a rare Hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship: the fear, despite official reassurances, that it might be happening again. But in a post-COVID-19 world, it didn't take long before questions and concerns surfaced about disease spread in the days immediately following the first reports that three people had died from Hantavirus on the ship.

CNBC

90-Second Read: Hantavirus outbreak isn't another Covid pandemic – but experts say it's testing U.S. readiness

May 14, 7:00 AM EDT

Unlike Covid, measles or the flu, the specific Andes strain of Hantavirus in the outbreak does not spread easily between people, making the risk of widespread spillover to the public low. While experts say the CDC appears to have the Hantavirus outbreak under control, some warn that the situation exposed cracks in the nation's public health infrastructure that could carry greater consequences in the face of a more contagious pathogen. The risk of this Hantavirus to the general public remains low, according to the WHO public health experts. The World Health Organization reported 11 cases linked to the outbreak as of Tuesday, nine of which it confirmed, including three deaths.

Medical Xpress

90-Second Read: For Hantavirus, experts aim to inform without igniting COVID panic

May 13, 8:00 PM EDT

Thrust back into the front line by a deadly Hantavirus outbreak, infectious disease experts have to balance informing the public about its potential risks without provoking undue fear of a COVID-scale pandemic. However some experts have also called on health authorities not to overstate what is known about Hantavirus while trying to tamp down pandemic fears. But that has not stopped conspiracy theories and disinformation about vaccines and Hantavirus spreading widely online, another echo of the COVID era. The deaths of three cruise ship passengers during a rare Hantavirus outbreak has sparked international alarm, and flashbacks to when the world tipped into a pandemic six years ago.

FOX 5 Atlanta

90-Second Read: Emory University Hospital monitors Georgia residents for Hantavirus

May 13, 7:00 PM EDT

The CDC says two cruise ship passengers are at Emory University Hospital for monitoring following a virus outbreak that killed three people at sea. ATLANTA, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Emory University Hospital are monitoring two Georgia residents following a Hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship that resulted in three deaths. The Source: Information for this story was gathered from FOX 5 reporter Kevyn Stewart, who attended a news conference with the CDC and Emory University Hospital, as well as official statements from the Georgia Department of Public Health and the World Health Organization. Two Georgia residents exposed to Hantavirus while vacationing on a cruise ship remain under evaluation in Atlanta.

AOL.com

90-Second Read: What is Hantavirus? Symptoms and how it is different from Covid

May 13, 6:28 PM EDT

The sickness starts with symptoms including a fever and chills and can quickly become life-threatening A suspected Hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship has claimed three lives. The 20 British passengers evacuated from a cruise ship hit by a Hantavirus outbreak arrived at an isolation facility after their repatriation flight landed in the UK on Sunday. The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday there were eleven confirmed cases of Hantavirus and nine of those cases were confirmed as the Andes strain. Hantaviruses, which have been present for centuries, have a documented history of outbreaks across Asia and Europe, but they rarely pass between humans.

Brown University

90-Second Read: Q&A: Epidemiologist from Brown University’s Pandemic Center on the Hantavirus outbreak

May 13, 12:09 PM EDT

The outbreak has been confirmed as Hantavirus, a pathogen carried by some rodents that can infect humans in rare, but often deadly, instances. In this Q&A, Pandemic Center Director Jennifer Nuzzo, a professor of epidemiology whose work focuses on public health preparedness and response, explains what the public should know about the outbreak. The Andes virus [ANDV] strain is a species of Hantavirus that mostly circulates in Latin America, Argentina and Chile in particular.

WSB-TV

90-Second Read: ‘You only got one shot’: Ambulance crew says moving Hantavirus patients was years in the making

May 12, 6:37 PM EDT

Channel 2 Action News follows the journey of two Hantavirus patients transported to Emory University Hospital, highlighting the expertise and training of the Grady EMS team. ATLANTA, Channel 2 Action News is getting an up-close look at what it took to get two patients exposed to the Hantavirus on a cruise ship to Emory University Hospital once they landed in Atlanta. Channel 2's Michael Doudna spoke with the crew who drove the ambulances carrying the patients.

WSB-TV

90-Second Read: Metro doctor says Hantavirus outbreak is not ‘the next pandemic’

May 12, 5:12 PM EDT

Learn about the Hantavirus situation in Georgia, how it spreads, and what experts say about the risk of transmission. ATLANTA, As two people are being monitored for Hantavirus here in Georgia, there are still a lot of questions about how the virus is spread. Fisher said Hantavirus is not new, but human-to-human transmission, like we're seeing with the Andes strain of the virus, is still extremely rare, which makes it different from COVID-19.

Al Jazeera

90-Second Read: Why the Hantavirus outbreak is different from COVID-19

May 12, 9:57 AM EDT

But the Hantavirus is very different from COVID-19 in how it spreads, how deadly it is and how likely it is to trigger another global crisis, public health experts said. The current public health risk from Hantavirus remains low. Here is a a breakdown of the key differences between the Hantavirus and COVID-19: Hantaviruses are a family of viruses that cause two main illnesses in humans. US and French evacuees from Hantavirus-hit ship test positive The last of the passengers on the Hantavirus-struck MV Hondius cruise ship have been flown to the Netherlands.

CNN

90-Second Read: Hantavirus is not Covid-19, but ‘calm-mongering’ risks triggering post-Covid anxiety

May 12, 8:00 AM EDT

Late Sunday, after the return of 18 passengers from the cruise ship MV Hondius to the United States, HHS announced that one person had tested "mildly PCR positive" for the Andes strain of Hantavirus. Even so, to some, it exemplified the communications problems around the Hantavirus outbreak. One point public health officials have repeatedly emphasized is that Hantavirus normally infects people who come into contact with urine or droppings from infected rats. Since the first sign of an outbreak, the reminders have come from government officials, health agencies and plenty of experts: There's no reason to worry.

CBS News

90-Second Read: Why Hantavirus is not like COVID, according to infectious disease experts

May 12, 7:39 AM EDT

Infectious disease experts have sought to reassure people that the Hantavirus cruise ship outbreak poses very low risks to the wider public. According to infectious disease experts, there are a few key characteristics that set this virus apart from the one that triggered a global pandemic in 2020. Let me be crystal clear: The risk of Hantavirus to the general public remains very, very low.

The New York Times

90-Second Read: Opinion | We Should Be Taking Hantavirus More Seriously

May 12, 5:03 AM EDT

Consider the history of the Andes strain of the Hantavirus. According to a paper in The New England Journal of Medicine, in 2018, a Hantavirus outbreak with this strain, the same strain linked to the Hondius cruise, began in Epuyén, Argentina. Yet in recent days, the World Health Organization has reassured the public that Hantavirus can be transmitted only through "close and prolonged contact" and that, as a result, it is unlikely to spread widely among the population at large?

Yahoo

90-Second Read: Hantavirus live updates: 16 at facility in Nebraska, 2 at hospital in Atlanta

May 11, 10:49 PM EDT

The total number of confirmed and probable cases of Hantavirus of those who were onboard the MV Hondius cruise ship has risen to 11, including two people confirmed to have died from the virus and one person who remains suspected to have died from the virus. Unlike the strain of Hantavirus in the cruise outbreak, the North American strains are not known to spread from person-to-person, health officials said. May 12, 3:27 PM Passengers in Nebraska undergoing in-depth interviews, symptom monitoring Fifteen passengers remain in the quarantine unit and one person remains in the biocontainment unit at Nebraska Medicine, hospital officials said. David Fitter, the incident manager for CDC's Hantavirus response, told reporters in a telephone news conference that the agency has over 100 staff working full time on the outbreak.

WRAL

90-Second Read: Hantavirus and COVID: Similar fears, major differences

May 11, 7:39 PM EDT

Hantavirus and COVID are comparable in a broad sense, but they differ in how they spread and where they originate, leading to different public health risks. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is monitoring the recent Hantavirus outbreak on board the MV Hondius cruise ship. However, Hantavirus does not appear to be the next COVID, according to health specialists. Hantavirus can be more lethal among those infected, but COVID can spread more easily.

Sacramento Bee

90-Second Read: 2 people with possible Hantavirus exposures are in CA. Officials say don’t panic

May 11, 6:50 PM EDT

California health officials said the risk to the public is low after two people who may have been exposed to Hantavirus returned home. Two Californians who may have been exposed to the Hantavirus are back in the state, but they're both asymptomatic, and health officials are urging residents not to panic. Although Hantavirus does not usually spread between people, public officials are being cautious in part because of the seriousness of the disease. In all, four California residents were in contact with people infected on the cruise ship MV Hondius, including one Sacramento County resident, California Department of Public Health Director Erica Pan said in a news conference Monday.

Medical Xpress

90-Second Read: Why Hantavirus is not the new COVID, according to experts

May 11, 2:40 PM EDT

A deadly Hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship has revived bitter memories of when COVID-19 first emerged, but health experts have emphasized the two viruses are very different, and have sought to assuage fears of another pandemic. Cases of Hantavirus are regularly recorded across the world, particularly in Asia and Europe. The Andes Hantavirus strain, which caused the recent outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship, is the only one out of more than 30 species known to be able to transmit between humans. After the first cases of COVID in late 2019, it was referred to as the "novel coronavirus" because it was a brand new pathogen.

DW.com

90-Second Read: Hantavirus: How it differs from COVID

May 11, 12:33 PM EDT

With memories of the COVID pandemic still fresh in many people's minds, it's understandable that communities are worried about Hantavirus spreading internationally. But there is a significant difference between COVID and Hantavirus. An analysis of a Hantavirus outbreak in Argentina in November 2018 indicates just how effectively even basic control measures, such as social distancing, slow the spread of infection from person to person. In 2018-2019, the Andes virus Hantavirus spread person-to-person in Argentina.

France 24

90-Second Read: Why Hantavirus is not the new Covid, according to experts

May 11, 11:31 AM EDT

After the first cases of Covid in late 2019, it was referred to as the "novel coronavirus" because it was a brand new pathogen. Cases of Hantavirus are regularly recorded across the world, particularly in Asia and Europe. The Andes Hantavirus strain, which caused the recent outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship, is the only one out of more than 30 species known to be able to transmit between humans. The exact number of people killed by Covid is difficult to determine, but the World Health Organization estimates it was at least 20 million.

Psychology Today

90-Second Read: Lessons from COVID can inform the psychology of a new public health issue.

May 10, 7:54 AM EDT

Understanding the psychology of disaster-related anxiety and trauma is vital as we face a new public health threat. So, while being aware of the latest information on a new public health issue is important, being fixated on it can increase discomfort and worsen anxiety. As devastating and catastrophic as the COVID-19 pandemic was, we learned some important psychological lessons from it that can help us navigate a new public-health issue in an emotionally healthy way. Recently, news has come out about Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, a virus that, though different from COVID-19, poses a similarly serious risk to those infected.

politico.eu

90-Second Read: Passengers begin leaving Hantavirus ship at Tenerife

May 10, 5:54 AM EDT

Passengers on the cruise ship at the center of the Hantavirus outbreak started to leave the vessel Sunday morning at the Spanish island of Tenerife, authorities said. All of the more than 100 passengers are being tested for the Hantavirus, which is a rare disease typically caused by exposure to infected rats. The WHO reported on Friday that there are a total of six confirmed cases of the "Andes" Hantavirus variant linked to the cruise ship and two probable cases.

USA Today

90-Second Read: With fears of Hantavirus outbreak, here's the real pandemic risk

May 9, 6:07 PM EDT

A deadly respiratory viral outbreak aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean has spurred fears about another pandemic. The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention both say the Hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius, which has infected eight people and left three dead, has low risk to public health. In 2026, the United States formally exited WHO, which caught this Hantavirus outbreak through its early warning system. Hantavirus, the name for viruses derived from rodents that can infect humans, aren't typically transmissible from person to person.

Texas Public Radio | TPR

90-Second Read: Texas epidemiologist: Hantavirus isn’t like COVID

May 9, 5:03 PM EDT

An outbreak of Hantavirus on a cruise ship has many asking whether the disease could spread beyond the vessel where three people died and many passengers left before the disease was identified onboard. Catherine Troisi, a professor of epidemiology at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, says Hantavirus risks don't resemble those of COVID-19. This transcript has been edited lightly for clarity: Texas Standard: What are the symptoms around Hantavirus and how's it spread?

NBC News

90-Second Read: Covid-19 cruise passengers recall painful memories amid Hantavirus outbreak

May 9, 7:00 AM EDT

Three passengers from the MV Hondius have died, two of whom had confirmed cases of the Andes strain of the Hantavirus and one with a probable case. The Andes strain of the Hantavirus can be spread person-to-person and is typically found in parts of Argentina, including where the cruise ship departed on April 1. According to cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions' website, the Hondius has 80 cabins that can accommodate up to 170 passengers.

Medical Xpress

90-Second Read: Hantavirus scare revives COVID-era conspiracy theories

May 9, 6:20 AM EDT

An outbreak of the deadly Hantavirus on a Dutch-flagged cruise ship is reviving conspiracy theories about vaccines, alleged depopulation campaigns and miracle cures that flourished during the COVID pandemic. The multilingual misinformation, which dominated online discourse and disrupted public health responses to the coronavirus, resurged even as the World Health Organization insisted Friday that there remained minimal risk to the general public from passengers of the MV Hondius. Some further claimed the Hantavirus was a side effect of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccines, misrepresenting a document that showed only that it was one of many "adverse events of special interest" subjected to monitoring, not something caused by the shot. A flurry of similar posts declared the outbreak a "plandemic", borrowing from the title of a widely discredited pseudo-documentary from 2020 that pushed falsehoods about COVID.