WHO Speaks Out On Hantavirus ‘This Is Not Coronavirus’

The World Health Organization spoke out today about cases of hantavirus that were reported on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean. The organization was trying to ease some people's worries, as some are comparing the hantavirus cases to the early days of coronavirus.

"This Is Not Coronavirus"

The World Health Organization spoke to the media today to try and ease some of the population's worry about the cases of hantavirus that were reported on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

According to Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, "This is not coronavirus, this is a very different virus, we know this virus. Hantaviruses have been around for quite a while... This is not the start of a COVID pandemic; this is an outbreak that we see on a ship, there’s a confined area, we have 5 confirmed cases so far."

What Is Hantavirus?

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), hantaviruses "can infect and cause serious disease in people worldwide. People get hantavirus from contact with rodents like rats and mice, especially when exposed to their urine, droppings, and saliva."

The type of hantavirus that was found in passengers on this cruise ship is a form of Andes Hantavirus, which is "the only type of hantavirus that is known to spread person-to-person. This spread is usually limited to people who have close contact with the ill person."

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You can learn more about hantaviruses from the World Health Organization, here. 

Some US States Are Monitoring For Hantavirus, But Not Minnesota

According to the USA Today, Public health departments in Georgia (2 residents), Arizona (1 resident), and California are monitoring travelers from the cruise, and none have shown symptoms.

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