SAN ANTONIO \u2013 A hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship has put a rare but deadly virus back in the headlines. While health experts say the risk to most Americans remains extremely low, the cluster of cases is raising fresh questions about a disease that \u2014 when it does strike \u2014 kills roughly one in three people it infects.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not the next COVID, but it is a serious infectious disease,\u201d Maria Van Kerkhove, director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness at the World Health Organization, told the Associated Press. \u201cMost people will never be exposed to this.\u201d<\/p>\n
No cases have been reported to the Metropolitan Health District in San Antonio, according to a spokesperson. <\/p>\n
KSAT asked Dr. Jason Bowling, an infectious disease specialist with University Health and UT Health San Antonio, to explain what hantavirus is, who is most at risk and what people can do to protect themselves.<\/p>\n
What is hantavirus?<\/p>\n
Hantavirus is not a single virus \u2014 it\u2019s a family. There are at least 40 known hantaviruses, and at least 22 of those are known to cause infections in humans, Bowling said.<\/p>\n
The World Health Organization classifies it as a serious infectious disease, and for good reason. <\/p>\n
In the United States, the mortality rate for hantavirus infection hovers around 35% \u2014 meaning roughly one in three people who contract it will develop a potentially life-threatening condition known as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, according to Bowling<\/p>\n
\u201cSo they get into basically respiratory failure as the infection progresses,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Can people get tested in San Antonio?<\/p>\n
Testing for hantavirus is not widely available locally because the disease is so uncommon.<\/p>\n
\u201cTesting, since it\u2019s such a rare disease, is a little bit difficult to come by,\u201d Bowling said. \u201cThe testing basically tests for antibodies to see if your body has seen it before.\u201d<\/p>\n
Because the disease is so rare, testing without a clear high-risk exposure history runs the risk of a false positive result. Labs in the San Antonio area do not carry the test locally \u2014 it must be sent out. Physicians will typically assess a patient\u2019s risk of exposure before ordering the test, Bowling said.<\/p>\n
How do people get it?<\/p>\n
The most common route of transmission is exposure to infected rodent droppings, urine or saliva \u2014 making it primarily a mouse-borne illness.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very rare that it is transferred from person to person,\u201d Bowling said.<\/p>\n
That person-to-person strain is found in Argentina and Chile \u2014 not in the United States. Domestic cases typically occur when someone cleans out an enclosed space \u2014 a cabin, barn or similar area \u2014 where mice have been active, inadvertently aerosolizing particles from droppings or urine.<\/p>\n
What about the cruise ship outbreak?<\/p>\n
According to the Associated Press, detailed investigations of the cruise ship outbreak<\/a> are ongoing, notably to determine its source.<\/p>\n Investigators in Argentina suspect that the cases were initially contracted during a birdwatching trip in Ushuaia, at the country\u2019s southern tip, two officials told the AP.<\/p>\n