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What is hantavirus and how is it spread?

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Hantavirus refers to a strain of viruses carried by rodents, primarily transmitted to humans through inhalation of airborne particles from dried rodent droppings. BBC News explains what the hantavirus is, how it spreads, and what the most common symptoms are.

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In May 2026, the World Health Organization reported a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship traveling from Argentina to Cape Verde.

Here, the CDC offers a comprehensive guide on preventing hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in your homes.

We tend to think of pandemics as unlikely events, but disease outbreaks are surprisingly common. Over the past 400 years, the longest stretch of time without a documented outbreak was just four years. So, what’s the probability of experiencing another world-changing pandemic in your lifetime? Explore the likelihood of a future pandemic and the steps we can take to reduce its destructiveness.

Over the past few decades understanding and recognition of hantavirus infection has greatly improved worldwide, but both the amplitude and the magnitude of hantavirus outbreaks have been increasing. Hantaviruses and the diseases they cause deserve the attention of researchers and public health officials, and increased clinician awareness with regard to their impact on public health. This academic paper reviews the general properties of hantaviruses, epidemiology, treatment and prevention.

In 2013, an Ebola outbreak began in Guinea. The country had no formal response system and the outbreak became the largest Ebola epidemic in recorded history. Guinea then completely overhauled their response system, and were able to successfully combat another outbreak in 2021. So what does an effective epidemic response look like? George Zaidan explores how different communities have taken action.

Explore what makes the Andes virus an important exception to how hantaviruses commonly spread.

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