CDC Says Dutch Cruise Ship Hantavirus Poses No U.S. Risk as 1 Strain Spreads by Close Contact
Updated
Updated · WCPO 9 Cincinnati · May 13
CDC Says Dutch Cruise Ship Hantavirus Poses No U.S. Risk as 1 Strain Spreads by Close Contact
5 articles · Updated · WCPO 9 Cincinnati · May 13
Jay Bhattacharya, the CDC’s acting head, said the hantavirus outbreak tied to a Dutch cruise ship poses no risk to other people in the United States at this point.
The reassurance rests on how the virus spreads: experts said the strain linked to the ship can pass between people, but only through very close contact with someone who is very sick.
Ohio health officials said the CDC and World Health Organization are on-site helping repatriate passengers safely, and the CDC has not notified Ohio of any affected returning travelers.
Doctors said the outbreak may evoke memories of COVID-era cruise quarantines, but unlike the novel coronavirus, hantavirus is a known disease with established containment plans; routine prevention still centers on avoiding rodent exposure.
How did a deadly rodent virus board a modern cruise ship, and what's stopping it from happening again?
With a 38% fatality rate, how are officials guaranteeing this deadly virus stays contained in quarantine?