Background

Hantavirus refers to a family of viruses carried by rodents. The virus is often transmitted to humans by inhaling particles of dried deer mouse droppings or urine. Only one type of hantavirus, the Andes virus, has been known to spread person-to-person, according to CDC.

Since CDC first started tracking hantavirus in 1993, there have been 890 total cases as of the end of 2023.

At first, hantavirus causes flu-like symptoms, including fever, chills, body aches, and headaches, but as it progresses, respiratory symptoms develop and patients can experience shortness of breath followed by lung or heart failure.

Currently, there are no targeted treatments or widely available vaccines for hantaviruses, though a handful of scientific teams around the world have been working on developing both.

The latest outbreak occurred on the MV Hondius, a cruise ship carrying around 150 passengers that left Ushuaia in Argentina last month for the Canary Islands, making several stops along the way.

The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the hantavirus involved in the outbreak is the Andes virus.

By Tuesday, the number of cases associated with the outbreak on the ship grew to 11 after a French woman became infected while aboard and is now being treated with an artificial lung in Paris, and a Spanish passenger tested positive after leaving the ship. A Dutch couple has been confirmed dead after seemingly being exposed while visiting South America, and a German national's death is suspected to have been caused by the virus as well.

Health officials noted the Dutch couple was part of a bird-watching tour that stopped at a garbage dump where they may have been exposed to infected rats. A team is being dispatched to investigate the dump.

Xavier Lescure, an infectious disease specialist at Bichat Hospital, said that the French passenger hospitalized in Paris has a severe form of the hantavirus, which has caused life-threatening heart and lung problems. The artificial lung is "the final stage of supportive care," Lescure said.

In a statement, WHO said that it expects "more cases given the dynamics of spread on a ship and the virus 'incubation period'" and added that there is currently "no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak."

CDC says risk to Americans remains low

Currently, there are no U.S. cases of hantavirus, and CDC is monitoring 41 people for the disease, including passengers on the ship and those who may have been exposed through other travel. In a media briefing on Wednesday, doctors with CDC said the overall risk of the hantavirus to Americans remains low and that the agency is "engaged at every step."

David Fitter, incident manager for the CDC's hantavirus response, said the agency has been in close coordination with state and public health authorities, federal partners, and international health partners, including affected countries.

Experts push preparedness (regardless of risk)

Although the risk of hantavirus to the public is currently low, some countries are working to bolster their supply chains and other preparedness responses ahead of a potential increase in hantavirus cases, as well in response to the overall rise in infectious diseases over the last several years.

For example, the European Commission recently announced the Global Health Resilience Initiative, which aims to increase investment in medical supply chains and national health services worldwide.

At a press conference announcing the initiative, Jozef Sikela, European commissioner for international partnerships, pointed to the current hantavirus outbreak for why these efforts were needed, saying that "the reality is that the frequency and intensity of disease outbreaks are increasing."

"First, health threats do not respect borders; a health crisis anywhere is a risk everywhere," Sikela said. "Preparedness pays off; investing now saves lives and money later. And third, dependency is really dangerous; no country should rely on a handful of suppliers, as health is no longer the preserve of doctors, but is even weaponized for geopolitical purposes."

Optum Advisory's* Derek Kazahaya also emphasized the importance of preparedness during infectious disease outbreaks, particularly for hospitals who may have to handle a sudden surge in cases.

"Ebola taught healthcare that preparation may look excessive when an outbreak is contained. COVID taught us that lack of preparation is far more expensive when it is not," Kazahaya said. "Hospitals should use every warning like this to pressure-test critical supplies, supplier depth, and surge decision-making before demand changes."

*Advisory Board is a subsidiary of Optum. All Advisory Board research, expert perspectives, and recommendations remain independent.