Orlando Health doctor discusses hantavirus outbreak, ways to stay safe
Infectious diseases physician Dr. Daniel Egan explains how the virus is spread and tips to stay healthy during travel
WE’RE STAYING ON TOP OF THE RACE TO CONTAIN A DEADLY VIRUS OUTBREAK ON A CRUISE SHIP. THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION SAYS EIGHT PEOPLE ABOARD A CRUISE LINER CARRYING JUST SHY OF 150 PASSENGERS AND CREW MEMBERS HAVE FALLEN SERIOUSLY ILL SO FAR. THREE CASES OF HANTAVIRUS HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED. THREE PEOPLE HAVE DIED. IN ALL, THREE PASSENGERS WERE MEDICALLY EVACUATED FROM THAT SHIP THIS MORNING. WE’RE LEARNING THAT SEVERAL OTHERS WHO LEFT THE SHIP WEEKS BEFORE THE FIRST DEATH ON BOARD MIGHT ALSO BE INFECTED. HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE NOW TASKED WITH CONTACT TRACING. THAT’S AS POLITICIANS DEBATE THE PLAN FOR THE SHIP TO DOCK, POTENTIALLY IN THE CANARY ISLANDS. AND THIS IS AN OUTBREAK THAT’S RAISING MANY CONCERNS ABOUT TRAVEL SAFETY AND ALL OF US STAYING HEALTHY, PARTICULARLY ON CRUISE SHIPS. SO WE’RE BRINGING IN AN EXPERT TO TALK ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT THIS VIRUS IS AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU. WE’LL ALSO BREAK DOWN HOW IT SPREAD. AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, HOW WE CAN ALL STAY SAFE. WE’VE GOT WITH US. ORLANDO HEALTH INFECTIOUS DISEASES PHYSICIAN DOCTOR DANIEL EAGAN. GREAT TO SEE YOU, DOCTOR. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. YEAH, LET’S LET’S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS VIRUS. PEOPLE ARE VERY CURIOUS ABOUT IT. WE GET LOTS OF MESSAGES HERE IN THE NEWSROOM AND THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA. WHAT ARE YOU WANTING PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT IT? YEAH. SO IT’S A VERY UNIQUE VIRUS. SO IT’S DIFFERENT FROM, SAY, COVID OR FLU. IT’S VERY ENDEMIC. SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS IT’S TYPICALLY SPREAD PURELY FROM RATS, RAT FECES, URINE. PEOPLE GET EXPOSED TO THAT AND THEN THEY GET SICK FROM THERE. IT’S A WHOLE COLLECTION OF DIFFERENT STRAINS. SO THE ONE THAT WE’RE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW IN THE CRUISE SHIP CASE IS THAT IT’S CALLED THE ANDES STRAIN. SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT’S THE ONLY ONE THAT WE KNOW OF THAT SPREADS FROM PERSON TO PERSON. ALL THE OTHER CASES ARE PURELY JUST FROM RATS TO HUMANS. AND IT DOESN’T GO HUMAN TO HUMAN. OKAY. THIS STRAIN DOES ANDES OF THE HANTAVIRUS, CORRECT? YEP. AND SO THE CASES IN THE U.S., IT’S ACTUALLY VERY RARE. SO FROM 1993 TILL NOW, THERE’S ONLY BEEN AROUND 860 CASES OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS PURELY IN THE U.S. AND SO THAT TELLS YOU HOW UNCOMMON THIS THING IS. AND SO FOR THIS STRAIN, THINK ABOUT THE SITUATION THEY WERE IN. SO THEY COME FROM AN AREA, THEY PICK UP THE VIRUS, THEY GET ON A CRUISE SHIP, THEY’RE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO PEOPLE FOR WEEKS. AND SOMETHING THAT COULD SPREAD PERSON TO PERSON. AND SO THAT BREEDS THE PERFECT STORM OF THIS KIND OF OUTBREAK HAPPENING. BUT IT’S VERY LOCALIZED, VERY CONTAINED FROM THAT SIDE TOO. AND SO THAT’S WHERE IT KIND OF MAKES A PERFECT STORM FOR ONE OF THESE SCENARIOS TO HAPPEN. BUT IT’S VERY RARE. THAT’S WHY IT’S MAKING ALL THESE HEADLINES. SURE. AND THERE WILL BE CONTACT TRACING BECAUSE POTENTIALLY OTHER PEOPLE COULD HAVE BEEN INFECTED. THEY WERE ON THAT SHIP AND LEFT BEFORE THESE CASES THAT TURNED DEADLY. WHAT’S THE NEXT STEP FOR OFFICIALS IN CONTAINING IT? YEAH. SO THE BIG THING IS JUST THAT CONTACT TRACING. AND TO SEE WHO’S BEEN WHERE AND WHERE ARE THEY GOING. SO THIS VIRUS TAKES A FEW WEEKS TO SHOW ITSELF. SO YOU GET INFECTED 1 TO 6 WEEKS LATER IS WHEN YOU START TO SHOW SYMPTOMS FOR IT. AND SO THAT’S THE CHALLENGE THAT THESE PROFESSIONALS HAVE TO DO IS WHO IS INVOLVED? WHERE DO THEY GO? AND IT’S NOT GOING TO BE IMMEDIATE WHERE THIS PERSON WAS EXPOSED AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY SHOW SYMPTOMS. SO THAT’S WHY IT’S A CHALLENGE TO TRACK THEM DOWN FROM THERE. AND WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE IF SOMEONE IS GOING IT’S NEARLY SUMMERTIME CRUISING IN THE PLANS. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THEM, DOCTOR? SO THIS SCENARIO IS VERY, VERY UNIQUE. SO IT’S NOT LIKE YOU GO ON A CRUISE AND YOU’RE GOING TO CATCH HANTAVIRUS AND HAVE A LOT OF TROUBLE. THIS IS A VERY UNIQUE SCENARIO. IN GENERAL, CRUISES ARE RELATIVELY SAFE. THE ONE CAVEAT RIGHT NOW IS JUST IT’S CLOSED ENVIRONMENTS, CLOSE PEOPLE, CLOSE PROXIMITY. SO THERE’S ALWAYS A RISK. BUT THAT RISK IS LOW AND IT’S COMMON STUFF. SO THINGS LIKE YOU’LL SEE DIARRHEA ILLNESSES SHOW UP. A LOT OF THOSE VIRUSES WILL SHOW UP ON CRUISES IN PARTICULAR FOR THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE. IF ANYONE WANTS TO GO ON A CRUISE TO SOUTH AMERICA, ALL SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE, RIGHT NOW, IT’S ACTUALLY COLD AND FLU SEASON FOR THEM. SO FOR US, WE’RE DONE. OCTOBER TO FEBRUARY FOR OUR FLU SEASON. THEIRS IS THE OPPOSITE BECAUSE IT’S SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE. THEIR WINTER TIME IS OUR SUMMER TIME. SO RIGHT NOW IS THEIR COLD AND FLU SEASON. SO THINGS LIKE THE NORMAL RESPIRATORY VIRUSES WOULD SHOW UP ON THOSE AREAS. SO IT’S ONE OF THE THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR. AND REAL QUICKLY HERE IN OUR LAST 20S, WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE? IF WE’RE GOING ON A CRUISE SHIP, WHAT DO WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND? HANDWASHING IS THE BIGGEST THING. SO WASHING YOUR HANDS WHENEVER YOU’RE AT THE BUFFET LINE, ANYTIME YOU’RE AROUND THOSE PEOPLE, THAT’S THE BIGGEST THING FOR ALL OF THESE VIRUSES. THAT’S THE BIGGEST WAY TO KNOCK THEM OUT. SO YEAH, GREAT ADVICE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. DOCTOR EGAN, AND WE APPRECIATE YOU KEEPI
Orlando Health doctor discusses hantavirus outbreak, ways to stay safe
Infectious diseases physician Dr. Daniel Egan explains how the virus is spread and tips to stay healthy during travel
Updated: 9:57 AM EDT May 7, 2026
Concerns are growing and efforts are being heightened to trace and treat the infection following an outbreak onboard a Dutch-operated, Netherlands-flagged cruise ship. Orlando Health infectious diseases physician Dr. Daniel Egan explains how the hantavirus is spread and tips to stay healthy during travel. >> Watch the full interview in the video player above.Click here to learn more about Orlando Health Medical Group Infectious Diseases.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
Concerns are growing and efforts are being heightened to trace and treat the infection following an outbreak onboard a Dutch-operated, Netherlands-flagged cruise ship.
Orlando Health infectious diseases physician Dr. Daniel Egan explains how the hantavirus is spread and tips to stay healthy during travel.
>> Watch the full interview in the video player above.
Click here to learn more about Orlando Health Medical Group Infectious Diseases.