Outbreak

Rare Person-to-Person Hantavirus Strain Detected on Cruise Ship Forbes reported that a rare Andes strain of hantavirus has been detected on a cruise ship, marking the only known variant of the virus capable of spreading between humans — a development that has drawn close attention from public health authorities. Hantavirus is typically transmitted to humans through contact with infected rodent droppings, and most strains do not spread between people. The Andes strain is a dangerous exception, capable of transmission through close contact, giving it a significantly higher public health risk profile. ...

The WHO confirms a suspected hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, with three confirmed dead and five more suspected cases under investigation. A 69-year-old British national is in intensive care in South Africa.

South Carolina officially ended its 200-day measles outbreak on April 27, with nearly 1,000 infections. Following the outbreak, vaccination rates in the region surged significantly, suggesting the public health crisis may have driven increased immunization awareness.