For days now, an unusual viral outbreak has been making international headlines. The trigger is the expedition cruise ship “MV Hondius”, which is currently heading towards the Canary Islands after several confirmed cases of hantavirus on board. While authorities in Tenerife are already preparing extensive precautionary measures, many people are asking one key question: just how dangerous is hantavirus really?
Spain Expat Press Editorial Team
by Marlon Gallego Bosbach
Experts are currently trying to reassure the public – nevertheless, health authorities around the world are closely monitoring the situation with great attention.
What is hantavirus?
Hantavirus is not a single disease, but a group of different viruses found worldwide that are mainly transmitted by rodents. In particular, mice, rats and other small rodents are considered natural carriers of the virus. Humans are usually not infected through animal bites, but via tiny viral particles in the air. These can become airborne, for example, when dried urine, faeces or saliva from infected animals is disturbed and inhaled.
The risk is particularly present in abandoned buildings, barns, storage rooms, cabins, or rural natural areas where rodents are found. Cleaning enclosed spaces can be especially dangerous if contaminated dust is inhaled.
Where does hantavirus occur?
Hantaviruses are found across several continents, including North America, South America, Europe, and parts of Asia. However, the different virus strains can vary significantly from one another.
In Europe, hantavirus infections occur regularly, but they are usually much milder than certain South American strains. Cases are also recorded in Germany every year, particularly in forested regions. There, the virus often causes flu-like symptoms or kidney problems.
However, current international attention is focused on the so-called Andes virus from South America.
Why is the Andes virus considered particularly problematic?
Most known hantaviruses are transmitted exclusively from animals to humans. The Andes virus is currently considered the only known variant for which human-to-human transmission has been documented. This is precisely why virologists are monitoring the current outbreak so closely.
Based on current knowledge, transmission appears to be possible only through close and prolonged contact, such as within families or when caring for infected individuals. Unlike COVID-19, the virus does not spread easily through brief everyday interactions or large aerosol clouds in indoor spaces.
What symptoms does hantavirus cause?
The illness often begins with non-specific symptoms and initially resembles a severe flu. Typical signs include sudden fever, intense muscle and limb pain, fatigue, headaches, chills, and nausea.
The disease becomes dangerous when the infection affects the lungs. In severe cases, it can lead to shortness of breath, fluid accumulation in the lungs, oxygen deficiency, and ultimately organ failure. The most severe form is known as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and can be life-threatening.
What is the mortality rate?
Depending on the virus strain, the mortality rate can reach up to 30 or even 40 per cent. This makes hantavirus one of the more dangerous known viral infections.
Experts, however, also emphasise a key difference compared with the COVID-19 pandemic: the virus is much harder to transmit. While SARS-CoV-2 spread globally in a very short time, hantaviruses are still considered relatively poorly transmissible.
Could this still develop into a pandemic?
At present, international health authorities see no indication of this. The World Health Organization, as well as several European virologists, currently do not believe that hantavirus has the potential to cause a global pandemic like COVID-19. The reasons for this include its difficult transmissibility, the lack of rapid airborne spread, and the currently limited chains of infection.
Nevertheless, the current outbreak is being closely monitored – particularly due to the high mortality rate and the international travel activity of those affected.
Why Spain and the Canary Islands are suddenly in focus
Particular attention is currently also being paid to Spain. The background to this is the expedition cruise ship “MV Hondius”, on which several confirmed and suspected cases of hantavirus have been recorded.
The ship is currently en route to Tenerife, where Spanish authorities are already preparing special health and quarantine measures. The situation is bringing back memories of the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic for many residents of the Canary Islands – even though experts stress that the current situation is not comparable.
According to current information, there will be no direct contact between passengers and the local population on the islands. Nevertheless, authorities and international media are closely following the ship’s arrival with great attention.
How can you protect yourself?
The most important protective measure remains avoiding contact with rodents and their droppings. Health authorities recommend thoroughly ventilating enclosed spaces first and not disturbing dust, as this can cause particles to become airborne. When cleaning potentially contaminated areas, protective masks and gloves should be worn. It is also important to store food safely and to take any signs of rodent infestation seriously.
For travellers, experts currently assess that there is no increased general risk.
Sorry but it appears to be easier to transmit than the article suggests. Otherwise how did an air stewardess catch it from.a passenger as has been reported elsewhere (snogging in the toilet?)