"This Is Not Covid, Nor Influenza. It Spreads Very Differently": WHO On Hantavirus Outbreak

The ongoing hantavirus outbreak is raising global public health concerns. A common question among individuals is whether it will spread like Covid-19. Will there be a lockdown? Do individuals need to wear a mask? During a press conference on Thursday evening, Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, Director, Epidemic and Pandemic Management, clarified, "This is not covid, nor influenza, it spreads very differently."

"We currently have no symptomatic passengers or crew onboard. In past outbreaks of Andes virus, human-to-human transmission primarily occurred among close contacts," she added.

Dr. Abdirahman Mahamud, Director at the Alert and Response Coordination Department of the WHO's Emergencies Health Programme, said, "We had a similar situation in Argentina in 2018 - 2019, where a symptomatic individual attended a social gathering that led to a lot of people getting infected. We are in a similar situation right now, with a cluster in a confined space and close contact."

"If we follow public health measures, with contact tracing and isolation, we can break this chain of transmission. It doesn't need to be a large epidemic. It has happened in a specific confined setting where people are interacting in a prolonged close contact," added Dr. Mahamud.

Could Hantavirus lead to a pandemic?

"It is similar to the Agrentia outbreak, and we don't anticipate a large epidemic. With public health measures, we can break the chain of transmission, and this will be a limited outbreak," mentioned Dr.

Dr. Van Kerkhove also stressed, "This is not coronavirus. This is a very different virus that has existed for quite some time. This is not the beginning of a Covid pandemic; this is an outbreak we are observing on the ship, occurring in a confined area."

"This is not the same situation we faced six years ago. It does not spread in the same way," she added.

LIVE | Media briefing on #hantavirus hosted by @DrTedros https://t.co/L05hbk1IKR

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) May 7, 2026

The key difference between hantavirus and Covid-19 transmission

The main difference between hantavirus and Covid-19 is that hantavirus is primarily a zoonotic disease transmitted from rodents to humans, whereas Covid-19 is a highly contagious respiratory virus transmitted from person to person. While both can cause severe respiratory issues, hantavirus is significantly more lethal on a case-by-case basis but far less likely to cause a pandemic because it does not spread efficiently between people.

Covid-19 can rapidly reach pandemic proportions. It lingers in the air and can infect large groups in a single room. On the other hand, human-to-human transmission of the hantavirus is only possible through close contact for prolonged periods. Hantavirus outbreaks are usually localised.

Also read: Hantavirus vs Coronavirus: Which Viral Infection Is Deadlier?

Human transmission on the cruise ship

Hantavirus primarily spreads through contact with infected rodent urine, droppings, or saliva. Human-to-human transmission is extremely rare. While a recent outbreak on the cruise ship involved the Andes strain, the only type known to pass between humans, transmission still requires very close, intimate contact.

During the media briefing, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said, "Given the incubation period of the Andes virus, which can be up to six weeks, more cases may be reported. While this is a serious incident, WHO assesses the public health risk as low."

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.