Since the World Health Organization reported the first diagnosis May 2, there are now 10 suspected cases of hantavirus infection worldwide with the Andes strain as of Friday. The infections are distributed among passengers who were on the MV Hondius — a Dutch cruise ship operated by Oceanwide Expeditions that embarked from Argentina to Cape Verde after departing in March.
With its approximate fatality rate of 30 to 40 percent, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the disease’s surge in the media has caused anxieties to fester among many who fear another pandemic on the horizon.
For insight as to how the University plans to navigate the outbreak, The Cavalier Daily communicated with Meredith Hayden, Student Health and Wellness chief medical officer, and Costi Sifri, U.Va. Health director of hospital epidemiology, both of whom say the disease is currently of low risk to the general community.
Hantaviruses — a group of viruses carried by rodents — are contracted through exposure to rodent urine, fecal matter, saliva and in rarer cases, bites or scratches. The Andes strain, the variant diagnosed among the Hondius passengers, is the only hantavirus with the ability to spread through human-to-human contact, causing hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome.
The CDC activated a Level 3 Emergency Response for the outbreak May 8 — the lowest level of response which indicates surveillance efforts and coordination among infectious disease experts while maintaining a low risk to the general public.
Hayden said the University is equipped to handle the outbreak’s next steps accordingly. She noted that health officials are utilizing resources and partnering with organizations and people such as the Blue Ridge Health District, Sifri, travel medicine resources and updates and public health resources published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Virginia Department of Health. At large, Hayden said these health officials believe hantavirus to “pose a low risk to the American public.”
In response to the worry of a second pandemic in a decade, Hayden emphasized that hantavirus behaves differently from COVID-19, and is not anticipated to cause a comparable widespread outbreak due to its difficulty of transmission.
“It is important to note that hantavirus differs significantly from COVID-19,” Hayden said in an email statement to The Cavalier Daily. “The Andes virus (ANDV) strain is the only hantavirus with human-to-human transmission, and this transmission is inefficient requiring close intimate contact. In past outbreaks, it is also readily controlled by standard isolation measures.”
According to Sifri, while the close quarters of the cruise ship — the same environment that bred the first COVID-19 outbreak — made the transmission of hantavirus possible, the transmission of the Andes strain is largely reduced to intimate contact with the infected party, such as a spouse or close household member.
Regardless, due to its novelty, Sifri said the disease is being taken seriously by the University and broader health departments. He encouraged University students to heed hantavirus with caution, yet with confidence, and emphasized that health professionals have the resources necessary to keep it contained.
“We need to remember that the people that are doing this work on the front lines are really doing it for us, and are really performing a critically important mission for everyone's health and safety,” Sifri said. “I will also want to … underscore that this is not a threat for U.Va. students or for the community in general. This is much more confined than that … It's something that I think that we're in a good position to take care of.”
While Sifri said he believes the frontline experts to be adequately equipped, he emphasized that the hantavirus outbreak illustrates the importance of these medical experts being in contact with medical institutions globally, beyond just American facilities.
With the Trump administration’s formal withdrawal from the WHO in January and recent cuts to the CDC, the United States’ research and resource capacity is more limited. Sifri said he is hopeful that the current hantavirus prevalence will urge government officials to reassess these policy changes.
“I do feel like this is an example of why we should be connected … with the globe and health authorities across the world,” Sifri said. “Our withdrawal from the [WHO] is short sighted, and I would encourage and think it should be re-evaluated. Microbes [and] viruses, they don't know borders, as this [hantavirus] episode has demonstrated.”
Sifri’s concern aligns with that of Jeanne Marrazzo, CEO of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, who expressed worry about the nation’s capacity to handle another public health crisis in a hantavirus-related press briefing from the Infectious Diseases Society of America May 7.
“Our withdrawal from WHO, our decimation of USAID and also cuts to scientific research … are having really profound ripple effects,” Marrazzo said. “This is a situation where you really are seeing crystallized the need for bio preparedness.”
In terms of the development of a hantavirus vaccine, Sifri said that there is not currently notable progress, but medical experts have recommended certain support care practices — including rest, hydration and in some instances, intubation — for patients with HPS.
“There are not any currently approved antiviral medications for this condition,” Sifri said. “The care for these patients is largely supportive with expert medical care … and maybe some advanced types of cardiopulmonary care. But in terms of antivirals, there's a very limited amount of data that's unfortunately not particularly promising.”
WHO believes the virus to have been initially contracted by a Dutch couple that traveled through Argentina, Chile and Uruguay prior to boarding the MV Hondius. The first of three subsequent deaths, according to the CBS, was a 70-year-old Dutch man who passed away from infection with the Andes variant April 11 — 10 days after departing Argentina. His wife’s death followed shortly after on April 26.
As of Friday, the CDC reported 41 people who had possible exposure to the virus are undergoing a 42-day monitoring period, with encouragement to avoid travel for the duration of this time.
Eighteen other Americans who were onboard have been escorted to various facilities for assessment by medical professionals, according to USA Today. Fifteen reside in the National Quarantine Unit in Omaha, NE, two are in Emory University's biocontainment unit and one is in the University of Nebraska’s biocontainment unit.
Though Sifri said he hopes the hantavirus outbreak will highlight the need for global public health collaboration, he warned that one of his largest concerns is the circulation of widespread misinformation about the virus — he advised students and community members to seek updates from trusted medical sources. With this suggestion to stay accurately informed, he emphasized that while hantavirus is something for the University community to be aware of, it should not inspire fear.
“Expect that there will be misinformation … Evaluate the information that you're hearing carefully. You know, generally use trusted resources,” Sifri said. “The risk for … significant transmission of this virus is very low, but since it's novel and a new issue, it's being monitored very closely.”
Hayden noted the SHW website keeps its “current illness surveillance website” up to date and that students can also follow its social media platforms to remain informed about “timely health information.”
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