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What you need to know about Hantavirus | BBC News

2026-05-08 News & Politics
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Description

The outbreak of hantavirus on a cruise ship carrying passengers from across the world is a situation that authorities say they are taking incredibly seriously. Three passengers have died either on board or after travelling on the ship, which set sail from Argentina a month ago. A huge operation is in place to trace people potentially exposed to the virus who have already taken flights home to numerous countries, including the UK, South Africa, the Netherlands, the US and Switzerland. Health experts stress the risk to the general public is low. The BBC's Health editor Hugh Pym, Martine Croxall and a panel of experts explain what we need to know about the illness. Subscribe to our channel here: https://bbc.in/bbcnews For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news #Hantavirus #Outbreak #BBCNews

Top Comments (10)

@CFmurse 2026-05-08

It has an eight week incubation period with an unknown infectious start point. Those two facts alone make the next two months completely unpredictable, full stop.

276 32 replies
@BrOtisOtis 2026-05-09

I’ve played these games before!

73 6 replies
@MarieAntoinette1938_tmc 2026-05-08

Do we believe them when they say it’s not a pandemic ????

62 14 replies
@billastell3753 2026-05-09

Rich people jetting and cruising around the world are spreading exotic diseases to everyone. Countries won't allow livestock or plants to enter a country but these wealthy travelers can go anywhere and come back to infect us without any control.

56 4 replies
@elvisSwaybacon.0 2026-05-09

*Why does the video quality look like it's from March 2015?*

44 5 replies
@KimberlyPerrotis 2026-05-09

The Andes strain IS a human virus now, it’s spread quite well from human to human on that cruise ship and before that, in mainland South America. I don’t know why they keep talking about the other variants that don’t spread to humans, that’s not what we’re dealing with here. With a mortality rate of up to 55%, only small increases in transmissibility are needed to make this a terrible pandemic. Mutations that might cause this are completely unpredictable.

39 2 replies
@Vibes-checked 2026-05-09

6-8 weeks incubation period, but the new cases test positive right away after exposure 🙄

27 5 replies
@scarletsletter4466 2026-05-09

The US and UK have never had ANDV before. It seems like it might’ve been better to put the patients on a boat or small island and send healthcare practitioners to them

22 1 replies
@wildandbarefoot 2026-05-09

Self isolate is what you do with a cold or flu. Not what you ask people to do woth a disease with a 50% kill count. Idiots.

15
@TheWorldNeedsLove-f8l 2026-05-09

Without lies, big pharma dies

10

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