World Health Organization confirms Hantavirus cases from cruise ship

The World Health Organization confirms five hantavirus cases related to a cruise ship outbreak, prompting health officials from the U.K. to Singapore and the U.S. to contain it.

Dr. Sonja Bartolome, an internal medicine professor, clarifies the hantavirus's origins in South America and its typical transmission via rodent droppings, not easy person-to-person spread, though the latter is possible in this Andes strain. She emphasizes that while the virus requires close contact and isn't expected to cause a pandemic, its high 40% mortality rate in severe cases necessitates medical care for symptomatic contacts.