What we need to know:
- People get hantavirus from contact with rodents like rats and mice, especially when exposed to their urine, droppings, and saliva. It can also spread through a bite or scratch by a rodent, but this is rare.
- It is primary infects through inhalation leading to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) but can also lead to hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).
- HPS is a severe and potentially deadly disease that affects the lungs. Symptoms of HPS usually start to show 1 to 8 weeks after contact with an infected rodent. Thirty-eight percent of people who develop respiratory symptoms may die from the disease.
- From 1993 to 2023, there have been 890 cases of infection. Most of the cases occur in the western US, with NM, CO, and AZ having the highest number of cases.
Comment - While the source is not yet known, it seems the elderly couple that died may have contracted it while on land in Argentina while bird watching. Once on board, in a confined area of the boat where they had an active infection for weeks, they may have spread it to others?
https://apnews.com/article/hantavirus-outbreak-cruise-ship-timeline-a04e0f8097d068a00fe94bf19f840240
How a deadly hantavirus outbreak unfolded on a cruise ship for weeks before it was identified
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — 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.
1 April 1: MV Hondius departs Ushuaia, Argentina.
2 April 6: 1st passenger, a 70-year-old man, falls ill.
3 April 11: Passenger dies onboard the ship.
4 April 24: Body is removed from ship at St. Helena; passenger's 69-year-old wife leaves and flies to South Africa, where she dies April 26; test results May 4 on her are positive for hantavirus.
5 April 27: 2nd ill passenger is evacuated to South Africa; tests results May 2 are positive for hantavirus.
6 May 2: A German woman who showed symptoms April 28 dies onboard the ship.
7 May 3: The ship arrives in Cape Verde. WHO says it is reacting to a suspected hantavirus outbreak on the ship, which now has three other people who are ill.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/general/cdc-says-monitoring-us-travelers-on-cruise-ship-after-hantavirus-outbreak/ar-AA22yVO9
CDC says monitoring US travelers on cruise ship after hantavirus outbreak
Story by Reuters • 16m •
May 6 (Reuters) -
CDC
https://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/about/index.html
About Hantavirus
Key points
Hantaviruses can infect and cause serious disease in people worldwide. People get hantavirus from contact with rodents like rats and mice, especially when exposed to their urine, droppings, and saliva. It can also spread through a bite or scratch by a rodent, but this is rare.
Hantaviruses cause two syndromes. Hantaviruses found in the Western Hemisphere, including here in the U.S., can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). The most common hantavirus that causes HPS in the U.S. is spread by the deer mouse.
Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a group of clinically similar illnesses caused by hantaviruses found mostly in Europe and Asia. However, Seoul virus, a type of hantavirus that causes HFRS, is found worldwide, including in the United States.
Signs and symptoms
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS)
HPS is a severe and potentially deadly disease that affects the lungs. Symptoms of HPS usually start to show 1 to 8 weeks after contact with an infected rodent.
Early symptoms can include: fatigue, fever, muscle aches, especially in the large muscle groups like the thighs, hips, back, and sometimes shoulders
About half of all HPS patients also experience: headaches, dizziness, chills, abdominal problems, like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
Four to 10 days after the initial phase of illness, the late symptoms of HPS appear. These symptoms include coughing and shortness of breath. Patients might experience tightness in the chest, as the lungs fill with fluid.
HPS can be deadly. Thirty-eight percent of people who develop respiratory symptoms may die from the disease.
Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS)
HFRS is a severe and sometimes deadly disease that affects the kidneys. Symptoms of HFRS usually develop within 1 to 2 weeks after exposure. In rare cases, they may take up to 8 weeks to develop. Initial symptoms begin suddenly and include: intense headaches, back and abdominal pain, fever/chills,
nausea, blurred vision
People may have flushing of the face, inflammation or redness of the eyes, or a rash. Later symptoms can include: low blood pressure, lack of blood flow (acute shock), internal bleeding (vascular leakage),
acute kidney failure, which can cause severe fluid overload
The severity of the disease varies depending on the virus causing the infection. Hantaan and Dobrava virus infections usually cause severe symptoms where 5-15% of cases are fatal. In contrast, Seoul, Saaremaa, and Puumala virus infections are usually more moderate with less than 1% dying from the disease. Complete recovery can take several weeks to months.
Reducing risk
Eliminate or minimize contact with rodents in your home, workplace, or campsite to reduce your risk of exposure to hantaviruses. Seal holes and gaps in your home or garage to keep rodents from entering these spaces. Place traps in and around your home to decrease rodent infestation. Clean up any easy-to-get food that might attract rodents.
Diagnosis
Diagnosing hantavirus in a person who has been infected less than 72 hours is difficult. If the initial test is done before the virus can be found, repeat testing is often done 72 hours after symptom start. Early symptoms such as fever, headache muscle aches, nausea, and fatigue are easily confused with influenza.
If you suspect hantavirus disease, see a physician immediately and mention a potential rodent exposure.
State laboratories and CDC can confirm a diagnosis through testing.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding submitting a specimen or any public health emergency, please contact your state or local health department or contact the CDC's Emergency Operations Center at 770-488-7100.
CDC says monitoring US travelers on cruise ship after hantavirus outbreak
Story by Reuters • 16m •
May 6 (Reuters) -
- "The United States is closely monitoring the situation with U.S. travelers on board the luxury cruise ship that was hit by a hantavirus outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Wednesday."
- "Three people - a Dutch couple and a German national - have died in the outbreak on the MV Hondius. Eight people, including a Swiss citizen, are suspected to have contracted the virus, according to the World Health Organization."
CDC
https://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/about/index.html
About Hantavirus
Key points
- Hantaviruses are a family of viruses which can cause serious illnesses and death.
- These viruses cause diseases like hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).
- They are spread mainly by rodents.
Hantaviruses can infect and cause serious disease in people worldwide. People get hantavirus from contact with rodents like rats and mice, especially when exposed to their urine, droppings, and saliva. It can also spread through a bite or scratch by a rodent, but this is rare.
Hantaviruses cause two syndromes. Hantaviruses found in the Western Hemisphere, including here in the U.S., can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). The most common hantavirus that causes HPS in the U.S. is spread by the deer mouse.
Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a group of clinically similar illnesses caused by hantaviruses found mostly in Europe and Asia. However, Seoul virus, a type of hantavirus that causes HFRS, is found worldwide, including in the United States.
Signs and symptoms
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS)
HPS is a severe and potentially deadly disease that affects the lungs. Symptoms of HPS usually start to show 1 to 8 weeks after contact with an infected rodent.
Early symptoms can include: fatigue, fever, muscle aches, especially in the large muscle groups like the thighs, hips, back, and sometimes shoulders
About half of all HPS patients also experience: headaches, dizziness, chills, abdominal problems, like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
Four to 10 days after the initial phase of illness, the late symptoms of HPS appear. These symptoms include coughing and shortness of breath. Patients might experience tightness in the chest, as the lungs fill with fluid.
HPS can be deadly. Thirty-eight percent of people who develop respiratory symptoms may die from the disease.
Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS)
HFRS is a severe and sometimes deadly disease that affects the kidneys. Symptoms of HFRS usually develop within 1 to 2 weeks after exposure. In rare cases, they may take up to 8 weeks to develop. Initial symptoms begin suddenly and include: intense headaches, back and abdominal pain, fever/chills,
nausea, blurred vision
People may have flushing of the face, inflammation or redness of the eyes, or a rash. Later symptoms can include: low blood pressure, lack of blood flow (acute shock), internal bleeding (vascular leakage),
acute kidney failure, which can cause severe fluid overload
The severity of the disease varies depending on the virus causing the infection. Hantaan and Dobrava virus infections usually cause severe symptoms where 5-15% of cases are fatal. In contrast, Seoul, Saaremaa, and Puumala virus infections are usually more moderate with less than 1% dying from the disease. Complete recovery can take several weeks to months.
Reducing risk
Eliminate or minimize contact with rodents in your home, workplace, or campsite to reduce your risk of exposure to hantaviruses. Seal holes and gaps in your home or garage to keep rodents from entering these spaces. Place traps in and around your home to decrease rodent infestation. Clean up any easy-to-get food that might attract rodents.
Diagnosis
Diagnosing hantavirus in a person who has been infected less than 72 hours is difficult. If the initial test is done before the virus can be found, repeat testing is often done 72 hours after symptom start. Early symptoms such as fever, headache muscle aches, nausea, and fatigue are easily confused with influenza.
If you suspect hantavirus disease, see a physician immediately and mention a potential rodent exposure.
State laboratories and CDC can confirm a diagnosis through testing.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding submitting a specimen or any public health emergency, please contact your state or local health department or contact the CDC's Emergency Operations Center at 770-488-7100.
Treatment and recovery
There is no specific treatment for hantavirus infection. Patients should receive supportive care, including rest, hydration, and treatment of symptoms.
HPS can cause breathing difficulties, and patients may need breathing support, such as intubation. Intubation is a medical procedure where a tube is placed in the lungs from the mouth to help the patient get oxygen.
There is no specific treatment for hantavirus infection. Patients should receive supportive care, including rest, hydration, and treatment of symptoms.
HPS can cause breathing difficulties, and patients may need breathing support, such as intubation. Intubation is a medical procedure where a tube is placed in the lungs from the mouth to help the patient get oxygen.
HFRS can disrupt kidney function. Patients with HFRS may need dialysis to remove toxins from the blood and maintain the right balance of fluids in the body when the kidneys aren't working well.
https://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/data-research/cases/index.html
Reported Cases of Hantavirus Disease
Hantavirus infection in the U.S.
Hantavirus disease surveillance in the United States began in 1993 during an outbreak of severe respiratory illness in the Four Corners region – the area where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) became a nationally notifiable disease in 1995 and is now reported through the Nationally Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS) when fever is present in a patient with laboratory-confirmed evidence of hantavirus infection.
In 2014, the Council of State & Territorial Epidemiologists expanded national reporting of laboratory-confirmed hantavirus infections to include both HPS and non-pulmonary hantavirus infections, which present with non-specific viral symptoms like fever, chills, headache, and fatigue, but no cardio-pulmonary symptoms. Reporting of non-pulmonary hantavirus cases began in 2015.
Reported cases of hantavirus disease in the U.S.
As of the end of 2023, 890 cases of hantavirus disease were reported in the United States since surveillance began in 1993. These were all laboratory-confirmed cases and included HPS and non-pulmonary hantavirus infection.
The map below shows the distribution by state of hantavirus cases in the United States from 1993 through 2023.
Data is reported by state only. In order to protect the identities of people who get hantavirus, county-level data cannot be provided. Contact your local or state health department for information about hantavirus disease cases in your area.
https://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/data-research/cases/index.html
Reported Cases of Hantavirus Disease
Hantavirus infection in the U.S.
Hantavirus disease surveillance in the United States began in 1993 during an outbreak of severe respiratory illness in the Four Corners region – the area where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) became a nationally notifiable disease in 1995 and is now reported through the Nationally Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS) when fever is present in a patient with laboratory-confirmed evidence of hantavirus infection.
In 2014, the Council of State & Territorial Epidemiologists expanded national reporting of laboratory-confirmed hantavirus infections to include both HPS and non-pulmonary hantavirus infections, which present with non-specific viral symptoms like fever, chills, headache, and fatigue, but no cardio-pulmonary symptoms. Reporting of non-pulmonary hantavirus cases began in 2015.
Reported cases of hantavirus disease in the U.S.
As of the end of 2023, 890 cases of hantavirus disease were reported in the United States since surveillance began in 1993. These were all laboratory-confirmed cases and included HPS and non-pulmonary hantavirus infection.
The map below shows the distribution by state of hantavirus cases in the United States from 1993 through 2023.
Data is reported by state only. In order to protect the identities of people who get hantavirus, county-level data cannot be provided. Contact your local or state health department for information about hantavirus disease cases in your area.
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