By Tyler Lilly – Staff Reporter

On May 2, the World Health Organization was alerted to an outbreak of hantavirus on a U.K. cruise ship, the MV Hondius. As of May 19, there are nine confirmed cases and three suspected cases. The specific virus is called the Andes virus, which leads to Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. While people are unfortunately dying and the outbreak is tragic, Hantavirus does not pose a significant public health risk, and reactions to it have been overblown.

Andes virus typically spreads through contact with infected rodents. The rodents that carry the virus have only been found in South America. Rodents also spread the disease through their feces, urine, and saliva. In the case of the MV Hondius, a Dutch couple allegedly caught the virus on a bird watching trip, and it spread to passengers. The virus rarely spreads between humans, but that did happen on the cruise ship. The virus can only be transmitted between humans through prolonged exposure, or close contact such as kissing. Getting the virus is incredibly difficult, and the confined nature of the cruise ship made it much easier to get infected. Even so, only 9 people were confirmed to be infected. Due to the difficult nature of getting infected, the Andes virus, or hantavirus, is unlikely to become a global pandemic or a risk to public health.

In addition to the nature of the virus itself, public officials are already taking measures to ensure that the virus does not spread further. The World Health Organization is monitoring the passengers of the cruise ship after they disembarked. All of the people who are infected with the virus are receiving healthcare, and are being mandated with at-home quarantine. The MV Hondius is also being sterilized and disinfected, and will be ready for departure again in mid-June. Hantavirus is something that is entirely under control, and the spreading of misinformation online is leading to many people overreacting and fearing another pandemic. The fact of the matter is that Hantavirus is not a new disease, and public health officials know how to handle it. 

Of course, this is not to disregard the tragedy of three people dying from this outbreak of the virus. It is truly terrible that people suddenly lost their lives, and my greatest condolences go out to their families. However, Hantavirus is highly unlikely to become a significant risk to public health, and officials have it under control.