Can Hantavirus Spread Like COVID-19? Experts Explain
News Desk
Islamabad: Health experts have sought to calm fears over recent cases of Hantavirus linked to a Dutch cruise ship, stressing that the virus does not pose the same global pandemic threat as COVID-19 despite growing public concern.
The clarification came after reports emerged of a hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship carrying around 150 passengers and crew members from 28 countries, where at least three people reportedly died. Dozens of passengers had disembarked on Saint Helena on April 24, raising fears about international spread.
According to health experts, comparisons between hantavirus and the coronavirus outbreak are misleading because the two viruses differ significantly in how they spread and affect populations.
Experts explained that COVID-19 was a previously unknown virus that spread rapidly through airborne transmission, while hantavirus transmission patterns are already well understood. The virus is primarily transmitted through exposure to rat urine, saliva or feces.
Officials said hantavirus is generally not transmitted from person to person unless there is direct contact with infected bodily fluids. However, reports linked to the cruise ship outbreak have raised concerns after what officials described as possible evidence of limited human-to-human transmission.
Despite this development, experts insist the chances of hantavirus becoming a large-scale global pandemic remain extremely low.
The World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also said the outbreak aboard the cruise ship should not be viewed as the beginning of another global pandemic.
Medical experts warned, however, that hantavirus can be more lethal than COVID-19 in severe cases, with reported mortality rates ranging between 40 and 50 percent.
Initial symptoms often resemble seasonal flu, but the disease can later lead to severe lung complications or kidney failure. By comparison, coronavirus symptoms usually appear within two to 14 days and commonly include breathing difficulties along with loss of smell and taste.
Authorities described the current situation as serious but under control. Health teams are tracing contacts of infected individuals, while cruise ship passengers are being quarantined and monitored.
Officials said existing public health measures, including quarantine procedures, sanitation protocols and rodent-control efforts, are considered effective in containing the outbreak.
Experts also emphasised that emergency responses similar to those used during the coronavirus pandemic, such as nationwide lockdowns, mass mask mandates or vaccine campaigns, are not currently necessary.
They further clarified the distinction between an outbreak and a pandemic, noting that an outbreak refers to the sudden spread of disease within a limited area, while a pandemic involves uncontrolled transmission across multiple countries or continents, creating a major global public health emergency.
