The world had not yet forgotten the fear of the Corona epidemic that another virus is spreading fear among the people. Yes, yes we are talking about Hantavirus (Andes strain hantavirus). Due to the speed with which this virus is spreading, many countries of the world have issued an alert. After the Hantavirus infection surfaced on a cruise ship and the death due to it, WHO has been put on alert mode. Will Hanta also become dangerous like Corona? Let us know about this…
A cruise ship infected with the dangerous Hanta virus was roaming in the Atlantic Ocean for the past one month, in which 3 people have died. In the outbreak on the cruise ship, 11 people have been found infected, out of which 3 have died. Two Indians were also among the approximately 150 passengers aboard the ship. However, both types are healthy and symptom-free.
The fear about this virus is also increasing because its mortality rate is high. In some cases its mortality rate is said to be 35 to 50 percent. This means that one out of every two infected people may be at risk of death. Recall that the mortality rate of Corona was less than 1 percent. In some cases, the mortality rate of this virus is between 20 to 40 percent. For this reason it is considered extremely dangerous. However, it is a matter of relief that Hanta virus does not spread in the air as fast as Covid.
Hantavirus is usually spread through contact with the feces, urine, and saliva of creatures such as rats. Andes virus is the only virus among its more than 50 species that can spread from human to human in a limited way. The WHO described the global threat level as “low”, although the CDC declared it a Level-3 emergency response.
Its main symptoms include flu-like fever, muscle pain and fatigue, and in severe cases, severe difficulty in breathing. Failure to get timely treatment can also result in death. According to doctors, at present there is no need to panic in India because no case has been reported in the country so far. According to doctors, this human-to-human infection is very rare. This is the reason why WHO is not considering it as a threat of an epidemic like Covid.
Like corona, it causes damage to the lungs.
According to doctors, if this virus reaches the body, it can directly attack the lungs and kidneys. In many cases, the patient suddenly starts having difficulty breathing and the oxygen level can drop rapidly, in such a situation it is important to be careful. Let us tell you that on Friday (8 May), the World Health Organization (WHO) had confirmed the spread of Hanta virus on the cruise ship ‘MV Hondius’ going to Spain.
WHO issued alert for these countries
The ship MV Hondius departed from the port of Ushuaia, Argentina on 1 April 2026. There were a total of 147 people on board, including 86 passengers and 61 crew members from 23 countries. The ship was moving ahead, visiting remote areas like Antarctica, South Georgia Island, Tristan da Cunha and St. Helena. On May 10, 94 passengers from 19 countries were disembarked from the ship and the process of their repatriation began. The countries which have been alerted by WHO are said to include many countries including Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and America.