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The Actual News

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What is hantavirus and how does it spread?

What is hantavirus and how does it spread?

Summary

Three people have died and three are sick after a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean had a suspected hantavirus outbreak. Hantavirus spreads mainly through contact with dust or air containing waste from infected rodents like mice or rats, and rarely from person to person.

Key Facts

  • The outbreak occurred on a cruise ship based in the Netherlands in the Atlantic.
  • Three people have died from the suspected hantavirus infection.
  • Three others on the ship are currently ill.
  • Hantavirus is carried and spread by wild rodents such as mice and rats.
  • The virus spreads when people breathe in dust or aerosols contaminated by rodent saliva, urine, or droppings.
  • Human-to-human transmission of hantavirus is very rare.
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) is involved in monitoring the situation.
  • The ship was waiting for help near Cape Verde during the outbreak.
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