Health authorities suspect a hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean has resulted in three deaths and several other illnesses. The outbreak has drawn attention to this rare but serious rodent-borne disease.
What is Hantavirus?
Hantaviruses have existed for centuries, with documented outbreaks in Asia and Europe. In the Eastern Hemisphere, they cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. In the early 1990s, a new group emerged in the southwestern United States, causing hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a severe respiratory disease. The disease gained recent attention after Betsy Arakawa, wife of actor Gene Hackman, died from hantavirus infection in New Mexico.
Transmission
Hantavirus is primarily spread through contact with rodents or their urine, saliva, or droppings. The virus becomes airborne when contaminated material is disturbed, posing an inhalation risk. Exposure often occurs in homes, cabins, or sheds during cleaning of enclosed spaces with poor ventilation. The World Health Organization notes that person-to-person transmission is rare but possible.
History and Hotspots
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began tracking hantavirus after a 1993 outbreak in the Four Corners region (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah). Most U.S. cases occur in Western states, with New Mexico and Arizona being hotspots, likely due to greater mouse-human encounters in rural areas.
Symptoms
Initial symptoms resemble the flu: fever, chills, muscle aches, and headache. Dr. Sonja Bartolome of UT Southwestern Medical Center notes that early stage hantavirus is indistinguishable from influenza. Symptoms of HPS appear one to eight weeks after exposure, progressing to chest tightness as lungs fill with fluid. Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome develops within one to two weeks.
Mortality Rates
HPS is fatal in nearly 40% of cases, while hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome has a death rate of 1% to 15%, depending on the virus type.
Treatment and Prevention
There is no specific treatment or cure, but early medical attention improves survival chances. Researchers, including Dr. Michelle Harkins of the University of New Mexico, continue to study the disease, which remains poorly understood. Prevention focuses on minimizing rodent contact: use protective gloves and a bleach solution for cleaning droppings, and avoid sweeping or vacuuming, which can aerosolize the virus.
