HANTAVIRUS Concerns Grow Amid Global Monitoring

Concerns about the spread of Hantavirus are growing internationally following reports of cases linked to a cruise ship, resulting in several countries intensifying surveillance.

Medical Researcher and UWI Lecturer Dr Tiffany Butterfield says while the virus can cause severe illness, the specific strain of concern, currently under watch, is not as easily transmitted between humans as COVID19.

“It is the only strain that has shown very limited to human to human transmission, but what is unique and important to understand is that this human to human transmission is for prolonged, close contact.”

She says health authorities are monitoring the situation closely, particularly because of the prolonged close contact among passengers on the ship.