ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A rodent-related illness is believed to be behind an outbreak on a cruise ship that has resulted in three fatalities and affected others.
Research suggests that hantaviruses have existed for centuries, with cases documented in both Asia and Europe. In this part of the world, it has been associated with serious conditions like hemorrhagic fever and kidney failure. A new group of hantaviruses was identified in the early 1990s in the southwestern United States, leading to a respiratory illness now recognized as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
This illness attracted attention last year when actress Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, passed away due to a hantavirus infection while in New Mexico.
The World Health Organization announced on Sunday that thorough investigations regarding the cruise ship outbreak are underway, which includes laboratory tests and epidemiological studies. Efforts to sequence the virus are also in progress.
The transmission of the virus
Hantavirus primarily spreads through contact with rodents or their waste—urine, saliva, or droppings—especially if these materials are disturbed, releasing particles into the air that can be inhaled. Most exposures tend to happen at home, in sheds, or cabins, particularly during clean-ups in poorly ventilated areas where rodent droppings are present.
While rare, the WHO notes that hantaviruses can also be transmitted directly between people.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began monitoring this virus after a 1993 outbreak in the Four Corners region, where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah intersect.
It was a perceptive doctor from the Indian Health Service who noted a disturbing trend of deaths in younger patients, according to Michelle Harkins, a pulmonologist at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center who has dedicated years to studying this illness.
Most reported cases in the U.S. are from Western states, particularly New Mexico and Arizona, where encounters with mice are more likely due to the rural settings, Harkins explains.
Symptoms of the disease
The infection can escalate quickly and become life-threatening. Initially, it may present with flu-like symptoms: fever, chills, muscle aches, and perhaps a headache.
“At the beginning, it might be hard to distinguish between hantavirus and the flu,” mentioned Dr. Sonja Bartolome from UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome symptoms typically arise between one to eight weeks after interaction with an infected rodent. As the illness advances, patients might feel tightness in the chest as fluids build up in the lungs.
The other syndrome, known as hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, generally surfaces within one to two weeks after exposure.
The fatality rates differ based on the specific hantavirus; hantavirus pulmonary syndrome has a mortality rate of approximately 35%, while the death rate for hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome can range from 1% to 15%, according to the CDC.
Challenges in understanding the illness
Currently, there’s no definitive treatment or cure, but seeking medical assistance early can enhance survival chances.
Even after years of research, many uncertainties remain, as noted by Harkins. For instance, why does the severity of the illness vary so much among individuals? And how do antibodies develop? She and her colleagues continue to track patients over time, hoping to uncover effective treatments.
“There are still a lot of mysteries,” she remarked, pointing out the critical link between rodent exposure and the illness.
The most effective way to prevent this infection is to limit contact with rodents and their droppings. Protective gloves and bleach solutions are recommended for cleaning up but public health experts advise against sweeping or vacuuming, which could release the virus into the air.
