Hantavirus symptoms explained as two possible causes of outbreak that's left 3 dead emerge - one is disgusting, one is horrifying

Hantavirus is a group of viruses carried by rodents such as mice and rats and spread through their urine, droppings, and saliva.

The viruses exist across the world, including parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia, and can cause illnesses ranging from mild flu-like symptoms to severe respiratory disease.

According to the UK Health Security Agency, most infections happen in places where rodents and humans coexist, particularly in rural or agricultural areas.

It can also be found in sheds, barns, vacation homes, and other places where rodents may have nested.

How Hantavirus Spreads

Most strains do not spread between people. In most cases, humans become infected after breathing in particles from infected rodent urine, saliva, or droppings. In rarer cases, the virus can spread through cuts, the eyes, or rodent bites.

However, one particular strain known as the Andes virus has been linked to rare person-to-person transmission through extremely close contact.

Officials have not yet confirmed which strain is responsible for the outbreak aboard the MV Hondius, which has left three people dead and at least seven others infected.

An investigation is still ongoing.

Symptoms Explained

Per UKHSA, symptoms of the virus can include "fever, extreme fatigue, muscle aches, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and shortness of breath".

Some patients can develop severe breathing problems requiring hospital care and respiratory support.

It's also been revealed that the symptoms usually appear between one and four weeks after exposure, though in some cases they can take up to eight weeks to develop.

There is currently no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for hantavirus infections.

Three Dead As Outbreak Spreads Aboard Cruise Ship

The first confirmed case involving someone no longer onboard the ship was reported in Switzerland after a former passenger tested positive and was admitted to University Hospital Zurich.

Three additional passengers believed to have contracted the virus were medically evacuated to the Netherlands on May 6.

Two of the three victims were identified as an elderly Dutch couple. A 70-year-old Dutch man died while the ship stopped in Saint Helena, while his 69-year-old wife later collapsed at Johannesburg airport in South Africa while trying to return home.

The third victim has not yet been publicly identified. A 69-year-old British passenger also tested positive and was transferred to intensive care in South Africa.

Health officials initially believed passengers likely contracted the virus after being exposed to infected rats or mice.

For the roughly 150 passengers onboard the MV Hondius, experts are hoping that remains the case.

However, the World Health Organization revealed that no rodents had been found on the vessel, raising concerns about another possible explanation.

Physician Zaid Fadul, a former Air Force flight surgeon, explained: "The Andes virus - that one specific subtype of the hantavirus - in Argentina, where they were, is the one that’s transmitted person-to-person...and that’s where a lot of anxiety in this case is coming from."

Officials now suspect that passengers may have contracted the virus before boarding the ship in Argentina, where the cruise began on March 20 for its 42-night "Atlantic Odyssey" voyage.

Because symptoms can take up to eight weeks to appear, investigators believe the first passenger who died on April 11 may already have been infected before boarding.

WHO epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention director Maria Van Kerkhove shared: "We do believe that there may be some human-to-human transmission that is happening among the really close contacts," per BBC.

Featured image credit: grandriver/Getty