How Worried Should You Be About Cruise Ship Hantavirus?

If the Netflix “Poop Cruise” documentary, the norovirus, or even sea sickness hasn’t scared you away from a cruise a new fear has now been unlocked for many with the recent headlines about the hantavirus.

A MV Hondius cruise ship had an outbreak of the rare hantavirus. A couple contracted the virus from infected rodents during a birdwatching trip near a landfill in Argentia before boarding the ship. The virus spread to members of the crew and passengers. So far they have reported 3 deaths and 7-9 cases. Over the weekend everyone was evacuated and tested.

At least one American has tested positive for the hantavirus while 17 U.S. passengers are headed to Omaha, Nebraska, where they’ll spend 42 days in quarantine.

So, what is the hantavirus? Hammer and Nigel talked to Dr. Steven Quay to clear up any questions and concerns we all have when we hear about a ‘rodent virus.’

Dr. Quay starts by reassuring us that “you should not be afraid of it at all.” There are two versions of the virus: the American version, which is relatively rare, and the South American version, which is more common. But here’s the thing: human-to-human transmission is extremely difficult, and most cases are linked to exposure to rodent droppings.

So, what do people experience with the hantavirus? “It starts like any sort of infection, you have a fever, you don’t feel very well, your muscles ache, and then it very quickly goes into a shortness of breath and then in a pneumonia it’s deep in the lungs,” Dr. Quay explains. This means that people can be infected for weeks before showing symptoms, making it harder to track and contain the virus.

The recent outbreak on a cruise ship has raised concerns, but Dr. Quay is quick to point out that athe the end of the day the risk is still relatively low. “It’s very hard to transmit human to human, so it’s really not something to worry about,” he says.

Learn more about the hantavirus and what you can do to stay safe when traveling, with Dr. Quay’s insights below: