The World Health Organisation has assured the public that the risk of hantavirus infection to ordinary people is extremely low, even as a cluster of cases linked to a cruise ship continues to draw international attention.
Dr. Boris Pavlin, an epidemiologist and team lead for Field and Humanitarian Epidemiology at the WHO, said the Andes hantavirus strain spreading in the current outbreak has only passed between humans in very limited circumstances. "This is not COVID, this is not passing someone in a hallway in an airport or outside at a stadium and getting infected," he said.
Investigations into the cluster's origin point firmly to rodents as the source. The virus did not originate from the region where the MV Hondius cruise ship departed, but from northern Argentina and Chile, where the long-tailed rice rat, the specific carrier of this hantavirus strain, is common. Pavlin confirmed that the first cases aboard the ship had previously traveled to this region.
No one currently aboard the vessel is showing symptoms, Pavlin said, though passengers and crew are being monitored as a precautionary measure. WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus acknowledged that concern about the outbreak is legitimate but stressed the risk remains low given the nature of the disease itself.
Nigeria has reported no cases of hantavirus. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention assured citizens that the country is closely monitoring the situation while maintaining surveillance for emerging infectious diseases. The NCDC, through its Director General Dr. Jide Idris, noted that available reports indicate low risk to the general public despite the limited number of confirmed and suspected cases in the outbreak.
Hantaviruses are a group of viruses primarily carried by rodents. Humans can contract the infection through direct contact with infected rodents or exposure to their urine, droppings, saliva, or contaminated dust particles. Cases are most commonly reported in rural settings where rodent populations are present.
Symptoms include headache, dizziness, chills, and gastrointestinal distress, though early signs can resemble many other infections, making diagnosis difficult without proper medical evaluation. There is no specific cure for hantavirus infection. Treatment focuses on early medical intervention and supportive care, which may include oxygen therapy and mechanical ventilation in severe cases.
Public health experts recommend basic preventive measures: keeping homes and food storage areas free of rodents, avoiding contact with rodent droppings, and using protective equipment when in environments where rodents may be present. Anyone who suspects exposure to the virus and develops symptoms should seek early medical evaluation.
