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<\/p>\nOrlando Health doctor discusses hantavirus outbreak, ways to stay safe<\/p>\n
Infectious diseases physician Dr. Daniel Egan explains how the virus is spread and tips to stay healthy during travel <\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWE\u2019RE 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\u2019RE 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\u2019S AS POLITICIANS DEBATE THE PLAN FOR THE SHIP TO DOCK, POTENTIALLY IN THE CANARY ISLANDS. AND THIS IS AN OUTBREAK THAT\u2019S RAISING MANY CONCERNS ABOUT TRAVEL SAFETY AND ALL OF US STAYING HEALTHY, PARTICULARLY ON CRUISE SHIPS. SO WE\u2019RE BRINGING IN AN EXPERT TO TALK ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT THIS VIRUS IS AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU. WE\u2019LL ALSO BREAK DOWN HOW IT SPREAD. AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, HOW WE CAN ALL STAY SAFE. WE\u2019VE GOT WITH US. ORLANDO HEALTH INFECTIOUS DISEASES PHYSICIAN DOCTOR DANIEL EAGAN. GREAT TO SEE YOU, DOCTOR. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. YEAH, LET\u2019S LET\u2019S 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\u2019S A VERY UNIQUE VIRUS. SO IT\u2019S DIFFERENT FROM, SAY, COVID OR FLU. IT\u2019S VERY ENDEMIC. SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS IT\u2019S TYPICALLY SPREAD PURELY FROM RATS, RAT FECES, URINE. PEOPLE GET EXPOSED TO THAT AND THEN THEY GET SICK FROM THERE. IT\u2019S A WHOLE COLLECTION OF DIFFERENT STRAINS. SO THE ONE THAT WE\u2019RE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW IN THE CRUISE SHIP CASE IS THAT IT\u2019S CALLED THE ANDES STRAIN. SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT\u2019S 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\u2019T GO HUMAN TO HUMAN. OKAY. THIS STRAIN DOES ANDES OF THE HANTAVIRUS, CORRECT? YEP. AND SO THE CASES IN THE U.S., IT\u2019S ACTUALLY VERY RARE. SO FROM 1993 TILL NOW, THERE\u2019S 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\u2019RE 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\u2019S VERY LOCALIZED, VERY CONTAINED FROM THAT SIDE TOO. AND SO THAT\u2019S WHERE IT KIND OF MAKES A PERFECT STORM FOR ONE OF THESE SCENARIOS TO HAPPEN. BUT IT\u2019S VERY RARE. THAT\u2019S WHY IT\u2019S 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\u2019S THE NEXT STEP FOR OFFICIALS IN CONTAINING IT? YEAH. SO THE BIG THING IS JUST THAT CONTACT TRACING. AND TO SEE WHO\u2019S 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\u2019S THE CHALLENGE THAT THESE PROFESSIONALS HAVE TO DO IS WHO IS INVOLVED? WHERE DO THEY GO? AND IT\u2019S NOT GOING TO BE IMMEDIATE WHERE THIS PERSON WAS EXPOSED AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY SHOW SYMPTOMS. SO THAT\u2019S WHY IT\u2019S A CHALLENGE TO TRACK THEM DOWN FROM THERE. AND WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE IF SOMEONE IS GOING IT\u2019S NEARLY SUMMERTIME CRUISING IN THE PLANS. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THEM, DOCTOR? SO THIS SCENARIO IS VERY, VERY UNIQUE. SO IT\u2019S NOT LIKE YOU GO ON A CRUISE AND YOU\u2019RE 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\u2019S CLOSED ENVIRONMENTS, CLOSE PEOPLE, CLOSE PROXIMITY. SO THERE\u2019S ALWAYS A RISK. BUT THAT RISK IS LOW AND IT\u2019S COMMON STUFF. SO THINGS LIKE YOU\u2019LL 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\u2019S ACTUALLY COLD AND FLU SEASON FOR THEM. SO FOR US, WE\u2019RE DONE. OCTOBER TO FEBRUARY FOR OUR FLU SEASON. THEIRS IS THE OPPOSITE BECAUSE IT\u2019S 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\u2019S ONE OF THE THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR. AND REAL QUICKLY HERE IN OUR LAST 20S, WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE? IF WE\u2019RE GOING ON A CRUISE SHIP, WHAT DO WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND? HANDWASHING IS THE BIGGEST THING. SO WASHING YOUR HANDS WHENEVER YOU\u2019RE AT THE BUFFET LINE, ANYTIME YOU\u2019RE AROUND THOSE PEOPLE, THAT\u2019S THE BIGGEST THING FOR ALL OF THESE VIRUSES. THAT\u2019S THE BIGGEST WAY TO KNOCK THEM OUT. SO YEAH, GREAT ADVICE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. DOCTOR EGAN, AND WE APPRECIATE YOU KEEPI\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Orlando Health doctor discusses hantavirus outbreak, ways to stay safe<\/p>\n
Infectious diseases physician Dr. Daniel Egan explains how the virus is spread and tips to stay healthy during travel <\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\tUpdated: 9:57 AM EDT May 7, 2026\n\t\t<\/p>\n