A recent outbreak involving hantavirus has prompted renewed international attention after reports confirmed at least three deaths linked to the infection. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that the virus is not comparable to Covid-19 or influenza and spreads in a markedly different manner.
According to an NDTV report published on Friday, 8 May, WHO officials stressed that the current outbreak does not indicate the emergence of a new global pandemic. The organisation said the situation remains limited and is associated with a confined environment involving prolonged close contact among individuals.
During a press briefing, Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, Director of the WHO Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Management, said there were currently no symptomatic passengers or crew members identified. She noted that previous outbreaks involving the Andes strain of hantavirus had shown limited human-to-human transmission, primarily among individuals who had close and prolonged contact with infected persons.
Dr Abdirahman Mahamud, Director of Alert and Response Coordination for WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, referred to a similar outbreak that occurred in Argentina during 2018–19. He said that, in that incident, a symptomatic individual attended a social gathering, after which multiple people became infected. According to him, the present situation reflects a similar pattern, involving a cluster of infections in an enclosed environment where people remained in close proximity for extended periods.
Dr Mahamud stated that effective implementation of public health measures, including contact tracing and isolation, could interrupt the chain of transmission. He added that WHO does not currently anticipate a large-scale pandemic linked to the outbreak, as the transmission appears confined to a limited setting.
Dr Van Kerkhove also emphasised that the virus should not be compared with coronavirus. She said hantavirus has existed for many years and differs significantly from Covid-19 in the way it spreads. She further clarified that the present outbreak is occurring in a restricted setting aboard a ship and does not resemble the circumstances seen during the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic six years ago.
NDTV reported that hantavirus is primarily transmitted to humans through exposure to the urine, saliva, or droppings of infected rodents. Human-to-human transmission is considered rare. However, the Andes strain identified in the recent cruise ship outbreak is one of the few variants known to spread between people, although only through extremely close contact.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during the briefing that the incubation period of the Andes virus could extend up to six weeks, meaning additional cases may still emerge. Despite describing the outbreak as a serious development, he said WHO currently assesses the overall public health risk as low.
Key Differences Between Hantavirus and Covid-19
| Aspect | Hantavirus | Covid-19 |
|---|---|---|
| Primary source | Infected rodents | Infected humans |
| Main transmission route | Rodent urine, saliva, or droppings | Human-to-human respiratory spread |
| Human transmission | Rare and limited | Highly contagious |
| Spread conditions | Requires prolonged close contact | Can spread rapidly in shared spaces |
| Pandemic potential | Considered low | Proven global pandemic risk |
| Common severe impact | Respiratory complications | Respiratory and systemic complications |
Health officials have continued to stress that, although hantavirus can be severe in infected individuals, the current outbreak remains limited in scope and differs substantially from highly transmissible respiratory viruses such as Covid-19.