Hantavirus is a “new” virus that has caught the world by surprise. While almost no one has gotten infected/died, many people fear that Hantavirus is the sequel to covid. A new outbreak occurred on a cruise ship in the Atlantic ocean that started in Argentina. Hantavirus itself is not a new virus since outbreaks like this have not happened since 1993. This is a strand of Hantavirus called the Andes strain which is slightly different from normal Hantavirus.
Many people are comparing it to Covid-19 yet it has very minimal similarities. First of all, the mortality rate is much higher in Hantavirus at a staggering rate of 40% compared to Covid-19’s 3%. While Hantavirus is still in its beginning stages and it has only killed 3 people, Covid-19 in comparison killed over twenty million, but numbers can vary by a lot depending on the source. Also, Hantavirus is much less contagious than Covid-19 because it is difficult for it to pass from human to human and is mostly likely caught from rodent feces and urine.
This strand of Hantavirus came from rodents in South America that transmitted the disease to humans. Weirdly, the majority of the 900 cases of Hantavirus reported in the last 30 years were in the south of the United States but none of the cases in the United States were Andes strain Hantavirus. This strain was first thought to be seen around 1995.
Normal Hantavirus is virtually impossible to transfer from human to human, but the Andes strain can transfer from human to human even though it’s not as efficient or fast as Covid-19. Hantavirus is a zoonotic disease because it originated in animals. The Andes strain of Hantavirus is a respiratory disease also known as Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS).
The early symptoms of Hantavirus include but are not limited to fatigue, fever, muscle aches. Since these symptoms are common in many other diseases, Hantavirus is difficult to diagnose early on. Later symptoms include headaches, dizziness, chills, and abdominal problems. There is no specific cure or medication for Andes strain Hantavirus but antibiotics can sometimes be used to slow the process.
In conclusion, Hantavirus is not the new spectacle that it seems to be but this type of outbreak is rare and that is why it shocked the world. Animals transmitted this dangerous sickness to humans. It is very dangerous and can cause death in humans. There is a very low chance that this strain of Hantavirus will because it has been around for years and not caused to many problems.
References
CDC. “About Andes Virus.” Hantavirus, 7 May 2026, www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/about/andesvirus.html.
“Five Things to Know about Hantavirus from a Stanford Medicine Expert.” News Center, 2026, med.stanford.edu/news/insights/2026/05/hantavirus-need-to-know-stanford-medicine.html.
Moniuszko, Sara, et al. “More Hantavirus Cases Are Expected, WHO Chief Says: Live Updates.” USA TODAY, 12 May 2026, www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2026/05/12/hantavirus-cruise-ship-updates–live/90031896007/.
Pettersson, Henrik, et al. “Visualizing the Hantavirus Cruise Outbreak in Maps and Charts.” CNN, 11 May 2026, edition.cnn.com/us/maps-hantavirus-cruise-outbreak-vis.
Press, The Associated. “Oncologist Cleared from Nebraska Biocontainment Unit after Cruise Ship Hantavirus Outbreak.” AP News, 13 May 2026, apnews.com/article/hantavirus-hondius-cruise-ship-doctor-nebraska-isolation-72daa0e1ff672c8c22b6851f4c5e3cad.
Roeloffs, Mary Whitfill. “Americans All Negative for Hantavirus, French Patient Critically Ill (Live Updates).” Forbes, 13 May 2026, www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2026/05/13/oregon-doctor-who-tested-positive-for-hantavirus-treated-passengers-aboard-cruise-latest-updates/.
Toledo, Joao, et al. “Evidence for Human-To-Human Transmission of Hantavirus: A Systematic Review.” The Journal of Infectious Diseases, vol. 226, no. 8, 13 Sept. 2021, https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiab461.
