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Hantavirus cruise outbreak sparks COVID fears but WHO says risks are very different
Health & Fitness
Published on 8 May 2026
It spreads from rodents not people
A cruise ship outbreak of hantavirus has reportedly killed three passengers and sickened others, triggering fears of a new pandemic. WHO experts say the concern is understandable, but the transmission route differs sharply from COVID-19: hantavirus is mainly linked to exposure to infected rodents and their droppings, not easy person-to-person spread through the air.
- Three deaths reported in a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship
- Hantavirus exposure is tied to contaminated rodent droppings and fluids
- WHO stresses it is not the same as COVID-19 transmission
- Risk comes from inhaling disturbed airborne particles from contamination
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This summarization was done by Beige for a story published on 
Republic