The appearance of several cases of hantavirus linked to a cruise ship has triggered searches about this disease and caused a wave of alarmist messages on social networks. Comparisons with covid-19 and conspiracy theories have also reappeared, which health organizations and various experts are trying to debunk in recent hours.
The World Health Organization (WHO) maintains surveillance of the outbreak detected on the ship MV Hondius, where several infections and several deaths have been confirmed, but insists that the risk to the general population is low. Health authorities also recall that hantavirus is not a new virus and that its epidemiological behavior has nothing to do with the coronavirus that caused the 2020 pandemic.
Hantaviruses are part of a family of viruses known for decades. Their main transmission route occurs through contact with infected rodents or with contaminated remains from urine, saliva, or feces. Contagion usually occurs by inhaling particles present in closed or poorly ventilated spaces where these animals have been present.
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explain that symptoms can appear between one and eight weeks after exposure to an infected rodent. Among the first signs are fever, tiredness, and muscle aches, although in more severe cases a severe pulmonary syndrome can develop.
A very infrequent contagion between people
One of the aspects that has generated the most concern is the possibility of human-to-human transmission. However, the WHO itself and several specialists recall that this type of contagion is extremely rare and is limited to certain variants of the virus, especially the Andes strain detected in South America.
The documented cases of transmission between people have occurred in very specific contexts and associated with close and prolonged contact. There is no evidence of sustained community spread similar to that recorded with covid-19.
Experts cited by the SINC agency have insisted that "there is no risk of epidemic or pandemic" because the virus is not transmitted passively through the respiratory tract like SARS-CoV-2. According to these specialists, human-to-human transmission requires very specific circumstances and does not follow the pattern of expansion observed during the coronavirus health crisis.
The WHO has also stressed that hantavirus infections are infrequent and that, even in the outbreaks investigated, person-to-person transmission does not occur easily.
Hoaxes and false comparisons with covid
The increase in conversations about hantavirus on social media has been accompanied by messages warning of a supposed “new pandemic” or linking the outbreak to conspiracy theories. Some content has even spread remedies without scientific backing or has claimed that the virus was artificially created.
Health authorities and various experts have denied these claims. Hantavirus has been known since the mid-20th century and has been under epidemiological surveillance in different regions of the world for decades. Furthermore, international organizations have not detected any signs of mass transmission or scenarios comparable to those experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nor is there scientific evidence to support supposed treatments spread on social networks, such as the use of zinc, ivermectin, or vitamins to cure the disease. Currently, there is no specific antiviral treatment or a generally approved vaccine against hantavirus, so medical care focuses on symptom control and hospital support in severe cases.
Health organizations also recall that prevention mainly involves avoiding contact with rodents and taking extreme precautions when cleaning enclosed spaces where there may be contaminated remains. Among the usual recommendations are ventilating rooms before entering, using gloves, and avoiding dry sweeping of dust or droppings.