After an outbreak on a Dutch cruise ship, a strain of the Hantavirus that can be passed from human to human has stirred up global concern. The sudden uprise in cases outside of Asia alongside a 40% fatality rate has many people scared. Three King Country residents are currently being monitored by Public Health after having come in direct contact with confirmed carriers.

Its name comes from its link to rats who carried it in the Hantan river in South Korea, thus Hantavirus became its commonly known name. Hantavirus was first formally identified in 1951 after thousands of troops contracted it during the Korean War. The first outbreak in the U.S. was in 1993 followed by the first confirmation of human-to-human transmission, which took place in Argentina in 1996.

It’s important to note that a large reason behind why it has not spread rapidly is that in most cases people had to eat, or be bitten by infected rats to contract it. 

Since it previously wasn’t viewed as much of a threat, there’s no known vaccine or treatment for it. This specific strain that can pass from person-to-person (Andes strain) is what’s now causing concern. 

Recently there was a large outbreak on the Dutch MV Hondius cruise ship which caused a lot of controversy on places like Reddit. One user said, “No. It’s a very isolated incident,” in contrary to what people believe.

Ultimately, as many know, passengers of the cruise — infected and otherwise — were let off the ship and now the virus is beginning to spread, causing public panic of another global pandemic like the Corona Virus in 2020.

To stay safe keep up personal hygiene for extra safety. Wash your hands frequently, avoid going out in public if you feel sick, and avoid wild rodents.