After Covid-19, another virus is making news. Should you worry?

A little over six and a half years ago, the world heard about coronavirus, a novel virus called SARS-CoV-2. A 55-yearold man died in Wuhan, in China’s Hubei province. The virus was novel, but it was still very much just a China story. Till — very soon — it was not. The virus, in just months, managed to bring the whole world down to its knees.And now, with memories of Covid-19 still fresh in everyone’s mind, there is a global alarm after a deadly hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship.What Happened?A ship — MV Hondius — with 114 passengers and 61 crew members set sail from Ushuaia in Argentina on April 1. This was meant to be a 35-day ‘Atlantic Odyssey’ voyage following a route through South Atlantic islands towards West Africa. But then, there was a hantavirus outbreak on this cruise. A Dutch passenger died on the ship on April 11. His wife later disembarked at Saint Helena and died in a Johannesburg hospital on April 26. A third passenger died on board on May 2.Several others also fell ill with the rare Andes strain, which can spread between humans in close contact.Infected or exposed passengers were flown home on emergency repatriation flights from Tenerife to Britain, the US and elsewhere. Authorities are now tracing fellow airline passengers and quarantining evacuees for up to six weeks after at least one American tested positive. What Is Hantavirus?Hantavirus is not a single virus but a family of viruses carried mainly by rodents such as rats and mice. Humans can become infected after coming into contact with rodent urine, droppings or saliva.The disease was first identified in the 1950s during the Korean War, but it gained wider attention in 1993 after an outbreak in the US killed many young adults.Different strains exist in different parts of the world. In the Americas, hantavirus can cause a severe lung infection called Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS). In Europe and Asia, some strains affect the kidneys more than the lungs.How Does It Spread?Most people catch hantavirus by breathing in tiny virus particles stirred up from dried rodent waste. This can happen while cleaning storerooms, barns, attics, sheds or poorly ventilated spaces where rodents have lived. Less commonly, infection can happen through: Touching contaminated surfaces and then touching the mouth or nose Rodent bites Eating contaminated food Human-to-human spread is extremely rare. However, the Andes strain found in South America — the strain linked to the cruise ship outbreak — is unusual because it can spread between people through close contact. This is one reason the latest outbreak attracted so much attention.What Are The Symptoms?Symptoms usually appear 1-6 weeks after exposure. Early symptoms resemble flu: fever, headaches, muscle aches, fatigue, nausea or vomiting. In serious cases, breathing becomes difficult. Treatment involves hospital care, including oxygen and ventilation if needed.How Deadly Is It?Hantavirus can be serious. Some forms, especially HPS in the Americas, have high fatality rates. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), roughly one in three patients with severe lung disease may die.But experts stress an important point: hantavirus infections are rare. Cases are tiny compared with diseases such as influenza, dengue or Covid-19.Should People In India Be Worried?At the moment, there is no sign of a hantavirus outbreak in India linked to the cruise ship incident.Experts say the average person does not need to panic. Hantavirus is far less contagious than Covid-19. Large community outbreaks are uncommon.Basic precautions are usually enough: Keep homes and food storage areas rodent-free Avoid sweeping dry rodent droppings, which can send virus particles into the air. Public health experts say that caution is reasonable — but panic is not.The current hantavirus outbreak is serious for those affected, but it is not viewed as the start of another Covid-style global pandemic.