Hantavirus origin claim about rat hanging is false

Hantaviruses can infect and cause serious disease in people worldwide. People get hantavirus from contact with rodents like rats and mice, especially when exposed to their urine, droppings, and saliva.

The World Health organization (WHO) confirmed that the type of hantavirus responsible for this outbreak is the Andes virus, which can lead to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). HPS is a severe and potentially deadly disease that affects the lungs. CDC is working closely with other U.S. government agencies and international partners to bring Americans on the ship home as quickly and as safely as possible. CDC is providing technical assistance and guidance to other public health authorities responding to this outbreak.

Hantavirus disease is caused by several different strains of hantaviruses. Hantaviruses are found in wild rodents, such as mice and rats, in different parts of the world. Hantaviruses found in North America can cause Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), a severe lung disease which can be fatal.

Cricetidae rodents include voles, lemmings of the northern hemisphere and new world mice and rats. Muridae rodents include old world mice and rats (Fig 2). Hantavirus phylogeny follows closely that of their rodent hosts, suggesting long term co-evolution, although there are evidences of occasional host switches in the past.

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Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is one kind of disease that can result from hantavirus infection. HPS is the main hantavirus disease of concern in the U.S. HPS is caused by the Sin Nombre virus, which is a specific type of hantavirus in the western U.S., including California.

Preventing hantavirus infection depends primarily on reducing contacts between people and rodents. Effective measures include: ... During outbreaks or when cases are suspected, early identification and isolation of cases, monitoring of close contacts, and application of standard infection prevention measures are important to limit further spread. Available evidence indicates that the risk of health-care associated transmission of hantavirus, including Andes virus, is very low when appropriate infection prevention and control measures are applied.

A Tufts researcher studying diseases carried by wild rats answers our questions about the rare rodent-borne virus that caused a deadly cruise ship outbreak

Hantavirus is a rare but potentially dangerous rodent-borne virus that can cause flulike symptoms and severe lung or organ problems. It is mainly spread through contact with infected rodents or the...