Expert at Nebraska Medicine says hantavirus risk far lower than COVID-19
Dr. Kelly Cawcutt of Nebraska Medicine downplayed hantavirus risks, comparing its transmission difficulty to COVID-19, as three deaths linked to a cruise ship outbreak raised global concerns. The WHO confirms hantavirus spreads through rodent urine, feces, or saliva, with Nebraska Medicine noting past local cases in the late 1990s and early 2000s, though large-scale spread remains unlikely.
A Nebraska Medicine infectious disease specialist, Dr. Kelly Cawcutt, urged Nebraskans to remain calm about hantavirus risks, emphasizing its limited ability to spread compared to COVID-19. Three deaths linked to a cruise ship outbreak have sparked global concern, but Cawcutt stated the virus is rare and not easily transmitted in large groups. The World Health Organization confirms hantavirus spreads through contact with infected rodents’ urine, feces, or saliva, with investigators suspecting the cruise ship outbreak originated from a Dutch couple who participated in a bird-watching excursion. Cawcutt stressed that hantavirus transmission requires close contact, such as within households, and is not spread casually like respiratory viruses. While exposed patients have been isolated and transported globally, the virus’s spread remains constrained. Nebraska Medicine has previously documented hantavirus cases in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but Cawcutt assured the public that a COVID-19-like pandemic scenario is highly unlikely. Symptoms of hantavirus include fever, body aches, headaches, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Medical staff at Nebraska Medicine remain prepared to handle potential cases, though Cawcutt acknowledged public concern is understandable given past experiences with cruise ship outbreaks. She reiterated that the virus poses far less risk than COVID-19, with transmission requiring direct exposure to infected rodents or their excretions.
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