Hantavirus 101: What to know and how to protect yourself and your loved ones

With the recent outbreak of hantavirus making the news thanks to its rapid spread throughout a cruise ship and those who interacted with passengers after they disembarked, the memory of the early days of COVID-19 has many feeling increasingly uncertain. Are we headed for another pandemic? What exactly is the hantavirus? How does it spread and is your family at risk?

As of May 14th, 2026, the World Health Organization reported eleven cases of Andes hantavirus associated with the outbreak, including three deaths. Many passengers and those who have come in contact with them remain in quarantine as they wait out the incubation to see if they have been infected.

Infectious disease expert and Heyward Gibbs Distinguished Professor in Internal Medicine Helmut Albrecht, MD, has experience in dealing with viral outbreaks. In this video, Dr. Albrecht provides answers for your questions about hantavirus, including:

• What is the hantavirus and why are we suddenly hearing so much about it?
• Is hantavirus a “new” virus like COVID-19 was?
• What are the symptoms of hantavirus?
• What makes the Andes hantavirus different than the kind we’ve seen in the United States before?
• How concerned should we be about the hantavirus outbreak?
• How does the hantavirus spread?
• What started this recent cruise ship outbreak?
• Do those planning to travel this summer need to take extra precautions?
• Does the Andes strain of hantavirus have a higher mortality rate than other strains?
• Is hantavirus in South Carolina, Eastern Tennessee or anywhere else within the Southeast?
• What are the potential complications of hantavirus?
• And more