Not next pandemic — officials
Public health editor
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Health officials are working hard to slow hantavirus spread on a cruise ship. But they all agree on one point. This is nothing like the coronavirus pandemic.
Hantavirus is a deadly rodent-borne disease. It spreads to humans when they come into contact with infected rodents. This outbreak is happening on the polar expedition ship Hondius.
The ship is sailing to the Canary Islands. Three passengers have already died. Maria Van Kerkhove from the World Health Organization spoke Thursday.
She stated this outbreak is different. “This is not the same situation we were in six years ago,” she said. The virus spreads very differently.
It does not travel like covid-19 or influenza. She pointed out the key contrast. During the pandemic, cruise ships became hotspots.
Travelers were quarantined as infections spread quickly. But officials confirm this is not that scenario. The risk to the general public remains low.
Still, one unanswered question worries people.