Is hantavirus treatable? What to know about the disease at the center of the cruise ship outbreak

A hantavirus outbreak aboard a Dutch cruise ship has drawn global attention to the rare but deadly virus.

Since April, an outbreak of hantavirus has been identified on the MV Hondius. The World Health Organization has now confirmed eight cases linked to the cruise. Three people have died.

Health authorities across several countries are racing to trace and contain the outbreak after some passengers disembarked and dispersed across the globe, prompting some to draw comparisons to the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Thursday that the overall public health risk remains low and that officials do not expect a large epidemic.

Nearly 150 passengers and crew members from 23 different countries remain on board, subject to strict precautionary measures. Seventeen of those passengers are from the United States, and authorities in at least three states are monitoring former passengers, none of whom have shown symptoms.

Hantavirus is a rare but potentially fatal illness spread by infected rodents. Human infection is primarily acquired through contact with the urine, feces or saliva of infected rodents. It typically appears in spring and summer, often tied to exposures in homes, sheds or poorly ventilated areas.