Passengers on Cruise Struck by Hantavirus to Disembark Today, WHO Issues Urgent Message

Hantavirus is typically spread through the inhalation of contaminated rodent droppings and does not pass easily between people. However, the specific strain detected on the MV Hondius, known as the Andes virus, may in rare cases be capable of person-to-person transmission. Symptoms can appear anywhere between one and eight weeks after exposure.