What is hantavirus
Hantavirus is a group of viruses transmitted mainly by infected rodents. People usually get infected by inhaling contaminated particles from the urine, saliva, or feces of these animals. The disease can cause symptoms ranging from mild flu-like symptoms to extremely severe respiratory conditions. The virus has generated international alarm following the outbreak that emerged on the cruise ship MV Hondius, which was initially reported by Sky News and subsequently by international health organizations.
What are the symptoms of hantavirus
Symptoms can appear between one and eight weeks after exposure to the virus.
The most common are:
- Fever
- Intense tiredness
- Muscle aches
- Headache
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Chills
The problem is that, in some patients, the disease evolves rapidly towards a severe pulmonary involvement.
When hantavirus enters the respiratory phase, the following may appear:
- Difficulty breathing
- Chest pressure
- Cough
- Fluid buildup in the lungs
- Severe pneumonia
- In the most severe cases, it can lead to respiratory failure and cause death.
How hantavirus is transmitted
The main route of contagion continues to be contact with infected rodents or with spaces contaminated by them.
The risk increases especially in:
- Warehouses
- Barns
- Abandoned enclosed spaces
- Rural areas
- Places with presence of mice
The infection usually occurs by breathing contaminated particles suspended in the air. However, the cruise ship outbreak has reactivated concern about a much more sensitive issue: the possibility of transmission between people.
The Andes strain: the only variant with documented human transmission
Swiss health authorities have confirmed that the outbreak detected in the MV Hondius belongs to the Andes strain, a variant present in South America and considered the only hantavirus strain with documented human-to-human transmission.
The confirmation occurred after analyses carried out by the Center for Emerging Viral Diseases of the Geneva University Hospitals, which works in coordination with the WHO. According to the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, contagion between people is only possible through close contact and remains very rare.
“Unlike European hantaviruses, which are transmitted through the excrement of infected rodents, the American variant can be transmitted from person to person, although cases are rare,” Swiss health authorities said.
Why the cruise ship outbreak is so worrying
The MV Hondius has become the center of international health attention after three deaths, suspected cases in different countries, and the presence of a virus variant with limited human transmission capacity. The cruise departed from Argentina and cases began to be detected during the voyage.
The first deceased was a Dutch passenger who developed symptoms in early April. Shortly after, his wife also died, who had disembarked sick on the island of Saint Helena before being transferred to South Africa.
A third victim, of German nationality, died after developing severe pneumonia.
The WHO also confirmed that several passengers with symptoms have been evacuated to the Netherlands for specialized treatment.
What the OMS says about the real risk
Despite the international alarm, the World Health Organization insists that the general risk to the population remains low.
The WHO is investigating whether there was human-to-human transmission on the cruise ship, although it emphasizes that, even in the case of the Andes strain, human contagion normally requires close and prolonged contact.
The Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, confirmed that the health of passengers and crew is being monitored and that people who disembarked during different stages of the journey are being tracked.
Are there cases of hantavirus in Spain?
The cases are very infrequent in Spain and in Western Europe.
European health authorities consider that the risk to the general population is very low and most infections detected in Europe are usually related to exposure to rodents or international travel.
However, the cruise ship outbreak has caused special attention in Spain because the Ministry of Health initially designated Tenerife as a possible point of healthcare for passengers and crew of the MV Hondius.
The proposal generated rejection from the Government of the Canary Islands, which requested an urgent meeting with the central Executive for reasons of security and health capacity.
What to do to prevent hantavirus
The main health recommendations are:
avoid contact with rodents
do not clean droppings dry
use mask and gloves in enclosed spaces
ventilate spaces before entering
disinfect contaminated surfaces
Prevention is based above all on avoiding inhaling potentially infected particles.
Does it have treatment?
There is no specific antiviral treatment against hantavirus.
Medical care focuses on controlling symptoms and offering respiratory support in the most severe cases.
Early detection is fundamental because respiratory deterioration can accelerate in a few hours.
The virus that reactivates international surveillance
The outbreak on the MV Hondius has turned hantavirus into one of the most closely monitored health topics at the moment.
Not because there is a risk of a pandemic, something that the WHO dismisses for now, but because it combines several elements of maximum public sensitivity: deaths, potential transmission between humans, an international cruise ship, and a little-known disease for a large part of the population.
And that is enough to trigger global attention.