According to the World Health Organization, hantavirus is a group of viruses that is carried by rodents and can cause severe diseases to humans. People usually get infected by contact with infected rodents or their waste.
According to the World Health Organization, a Dutch ship, the HV Hondius departed Argentina on April 1, 2025. The ship was carrying 147 passengers and crew. It made stops in Antarctica and other places across the South Atlantic.
On May 2, the WHO received news of an outbreak of severe acute respiratory illness on the ship. According to pbs.org, the passengers on the ship were evacuated from the Canary Islands.
Closer to home, a man in Douglas County has died due to hantavirus, (according to usatoday.com), on March 17, but the case isn’t connected to the recent cruise ship outbreak. As of May 18, there have been 11 deaths worldwide related to the recent outbreak.
“If it was before the people got off the ship, I’d say contain it right there. You isolate them, quarantine those who are infected or at risk, and stop them from going out into the public, but now I believe that vaccination could be one of the better ways to sort of prepare for the virus,” Agath Koolath ‘27 said.
What is the Andes Virus,
According to the CDC.gov, the Andes virus is a type of hantavirus that causes severe respiratory disease in people. It can be spread through contact with rodents, touching something with the virus, or rarely through prolonged contact with a sick person who has the virus. The Andes virus is the only strain that can be spread between people.
According to cbsnews.com, the strain found on the M/V Hondius is the Andes Virus. Signs of the virus can be seen between four and 49 days after exposure. Early symptoms can include fatigue, fever, muscle aches. People also experience headaches, dizziness, chills and abdominal problems.
Should we be worried?
According to the CDC.gov, the risk of a pandemic is very low. The virus doesn’t spread easily like Covid-19.
“I’d say we should be pretty worried, especially given the mortality rate and the people on the cruise ships. They basically just walked off, so we don’t know how quickly that could spread,”Koolath said.
