Expert: Hantavirus Not A Covid Rerun
Scott Roberts, a Yale School of Medicine infectious disease specialist, dismissed fears that the recent Hantavirus outbreak on the Argentine cruise ship MV Hondius—killing three people—would become a global pandemic like Covid-19, stating it spreads far less efficiently and lacks the same mutation rate. The Andes strain of Hantavirus, responsible for the outbreak, primarily spreads through rodent exposure and has only caused isolated human-to-human transmission in rare clusters, unlike Covid-19’s rapid airborne spread, according to Roberts’ interview on WNHH FM.
Scott Roberts, an infectious disease specialist at Yale School of Medicine, reassured the public that the recent Hantavirus outbreak on the Argentine cruise ship MV Hondius—resulting in three deaths—will not replicate the global pandemic scale of Covid-19. The Andes strain of Hantavirus, which caused the outbreak, does not spread as rapidly or mutate like Covid-19, Roberts explained during a conversation on WNHH FM’s *Dateline New Haven* on Thursday. He emphasized that while the virus has caused isolated human-to-human transmission in clusters, such as the cruise ship incident, it remains far less contagious than Covid-19, requiring prolonged close contact for spread. Roberts compared the virus to Ebola and SARS-1, noting that neither caused widespread disruption despite their lethality. The Andes strain is the only known Hantavirus variant capable of limited human-to-human transmission, primarily circulating in rodents in Argentina. Outside Argentina, Hantavirus cases in the U.S. typically occur through rodent exposure, such as cleaning rodent droppings without protective gear, with 50 to 100 cases reported annually, mostly in the southwestern U.S. The specialist warned that while the current outbreak poses minimal risk of becoming a pandemic, public health systems should remain vigilant for future viral threats. Connecticut has not yet reported locally acquired Hantavirus cases, though the state monitors the situation closely. Roberts advised wearing gloves and an N95 mask when handling rodent droppings as a precautionary measure, though he stressed the risk of infection from such exposure remains low. The MV Hondius outbreak marked the first time the Andes strain spread among passengers on a cruise ship, but Roberts noted no secondary cases outside the ship. He urged against panic, stating the virus will likely be contained in isolated pockets. The specialist also highlighted the importance of preparedness for potential future outbreaks, given the global public health system’s challenges in managing viral threats.
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