Hantavirus in U.S: People in 3 states are monitored for potential infections. Symptoms, treatment - all you need to know

People in at least three states across the U.S. are being monitored for potential hantavirus infections after being on Dutch cruise ship, according to reports.

A deadly outbreak of the rare hantavirus unfolded over the course of weeks on a cruise ship that sailed from Argentina toward Antarctica and then across the Atlantic Ocean, stopping at or near remote islands on the way as passengers and crew members fell sick, according to information from the cruise operator, the World Health Organization and ship tracking data.

It shows nearly a month passed between when an elderly Dutch man fell sick and died in the South Atlantic and laboratory tests in South Africa — more than 3,500 kilometers (2,174 miles) away — first confirmed hantavirus infections.


Three passengers have died, one is in intensive care in a South African hospital, and three others were evacuated from the ship Wednesday. Another man who left the ship earlier in the voyage tested positive in Switzerland.

More than 140 passengers and crew members were still on the MV Hondius ship as it departed the West African island nation of Cape Verde for Spain’s Canary Islands.

Tests on patients in South Africa and Switzerland showed it was a hantavirus found in South America, called the Andes virus, officials said.

Hantavirus usually spreads by inhaling contaminated rodent droppings and can spread person-to-person, though that is rare, according to the WHO, whose top epidemic expert said the risk to the public is low.

As the number of confirmed infections increased to five, health authorities in three continents were investigating the source and tracing dozens of people who might have come in contact with passengers who left the ship earlier.


What is Hantavirus?


Hantavirus is mainly spread by contact with rodents or their urine, saliva or droppings, particularly when the material is disturbed and becomes airborne, posing a risk of inhalation.

People are typically exposed to hantavirus around their homes, cabins or sheds, especially when cleaning enclosed spaces with little ventilation or exploring areas with mouse droppings.

The word hantavirus refers to a broad family of viruses, with different versions in different countries. Almost none of them have been found to spread from person to person — with the possible exception of the Andes virus, which has been confirmed in the current outbreak.

Still, transmission between people does not happen easily, and would require "close and prolonged'' contact, according to the WHO.