General Discussion

orangecrush

(30,937 posts) Thu May 7, 2026, 05:26 PM 15 hrs ago

Hantavirus being monitored in US. Latest on cruise ship outbreak

Officials in the United States are monitoring Americans who traveled on the cruise ship at the center of the hantavirus outbreak that has caused three deaths.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a May 6 news release that the State Department is "leading a coordinated, whole-of-government response" and is in contact with passengers and health authorities around the world.

Eight people who traveled on the MV Hondius, a cruise ship traveling in the Atlantic Ocean run by Netherlands-based operator Oceanwide Expeditions, have been linked to the outbreak so far. Three people have died.

The World Health Organization said the particular strain has been confirmed as the Andes virus, which is believed to spread person-to-person.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2026/05/07/hantavirus-outbreak-cases-cruise-ship-us-updates/89970817007/

16 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Hantavirus being monitored in US. Latest on cruise ship outbreak (Original Post) orangecrush 15 hrs ago OP

By Robert shithead Kennedy, jr....................... Lovie777 15 hrs ago #1

My thought exactly orangecrush 15 hrs ago #2

If it gets going it would be the second pandemic under Trump bucolic_frolic 15 hrs ago #3

I doubt that TexLaProgressive 15 hrs ago #4

Andes strain is transmissible between humans. /nt bucolic_frolic 15 hrs ago #5

Not this strain, it is human to human, and fatality rates are 40-50% obamanut2012 14 hrs ago #6

Confirmed that it's the Andean strain of hantavirus TexLaProgressive 12 hrs ago #10

And the fatality rate of this is much higher than OG Covid obamanut2012 14 hrs ago #7

We do not have a CDC that can handle this virus. yellow dahlia 13 hrs ago #8

It always starts with bamagal62 13 hrs ago #9

Deja Vu orangecrush 12 hrs ago #11

Yep! bamagal62 10 hrs ago #12

and toilet paper! scipan 8 hrs ago #13

It it were to spread here, we are up the creek without a paddle. LisaL 4 hrs ago #15

I believe there were canetoad 8 hrs ago #14

At least one of the infected people from the cruise flew on a commercial plane. LisaL 4 hrs ago #16

Lovie777

(23,543 posts)

1. By Robert shithead Kennedy, jr.......................

Reply to orangecrush (Original post)

Thu May 7, 2026, 05:28 PM

15 hrs ago

no thanks.

orangecrush

(30,937 posts)

2. My thought exactly

Reply to Lovie777 (Reply #1)

Thu May 7, 2026, 05:28 PM

15 hrs ago

bucolic_frolic

(55,684 posts)

3. If it gets going it would be the second pandemic under Trump

Reply to orangecrush (Original post)

Thu May 7, 2026, 05:36 PM

15 hrs ago

No gas, no food, new pandemic ..... too horrible to contemplate.

TexLaProgressive

(12,781 posts)

4. I doubt that

Reply to bucolic_frolic (Reply #3)

Thu May 7, 2026, 05:47 PM

15 hrs ago

hantavirus is endemic in the desert southwest. Iirc the usual transmission route is inhaling dried rodent urine and dropping dust. Human to human transmission is very rare.

bucolic_frolic

(55,684 posts)

5. Andes strain is transmissible between humans. /nt

Reply to TexLaProgressive (Reply #4)

Thu May 7, 2026, 05:55 PM

15 hrs ago

obamanut2012

(29,491 posts)

6. Not this strain, it is human to human, and fatality rates are 40-50%

Reply to TexLaProgressive (Reply #4)

Thu May 7, 2026, 06:15 PM

14 hrs ago

No cure, no vax.

TexLaProgressive

(12,781 posts)

10. Confirmed that it's the Andean strain of hantavirus

Reply to obamanut2012 (Reply #6)

Thu May 7, 2026, 08:11 PM

12 hrs ago

It is endemic in parts of Argentina and Chile. The ship had been in Argentina. That may be where the 1st passenger contracted it. From what I've read human to human transmission requires close contact.

obamanut2012

(29,491 posts)

7. And the fatality rate of this is much higher than OG Covid

Reply to bucolic_frolic (Reply #3)

Thu May 7, 2026, 06:16 PM

14 hrs ago

Andes strain is a coin flip if you survive.

yellow dahlia

(6,384 posts)

8. We do not have a CDC that can handle this virus.

Reply to orangecrush (Original post)

Thu May 7, 2026, 07:17 PM

13 hrs ago

Another pandemic was on my Bingo card...unfortunately.

bamagal62

(4,543 posts)

9. It always starts with

Reply to orangecrush (Original post)

Thu May 7, 2026, 07:33 PM

13 hrs ago

“A risk to the public is low at this time”. Until
It’s not. Heard this when SARS hit while living in Hong Kong and heard it with Covid. Time to buy some masks, just in case. The promising thing is I don’t believe it’s contagious until there are symptoms.
The bad thing is, the incubation period is long and then it begins with flu like symptoms before going respiratory. So, you might just assume you have the flu and not isolate.