Alabama and Jefferson County health officials said they have reported 0 Hantavirus cases, calling the immediate local risk extremely low despite questions sparked by an international cruise ship outbreak.
Hantavirus is rare and is usually linked to inhaling aerosolized rodent urine or feces, not routine person-to-person spread, UAB infectious disease expert Racheal Lee said.
The cruise ship cluster likely produced more cases because passengers were in close quarters and shared meals frequently, while exposed people have already been identified, local officials said.
Symptoms can resemble the flu — including fever, fatigue and shortness of breath — and there is no vaccine or cure, leaving prevention focused on avoiding rodent droppings and discussing travel risks with doctors.
Could the person-to-person spread on the cruise ship signal a new pandemic threat from the hantavirus family?
With a 42-day incubation period, are global quarantine protocols sufficient to stop this deadly virus from spreading silently?
American passengers are in a high-security Nebraska facility. What happens inside this specialized biocontainment unit?