Another lockdown? Here's all you need to know about the new hantavirus

• The World Health Organization says hantavirus is not a new COVID-style pandemic and is mainly spread through contact with infected rodents.

• Health officials have recorded eight cases and three deaths linked to a recent outbreak connected to a South America cruise trip involving passengers from multiple countries.

• Symptoms include fever, muscle pain, cough and breathing difficulties, while experts say the overall public health risk remains low.

Fears of another global lockdown have surfaced online following reports of a hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship, but the World Health Organization says the situation is very different from the early days of COVID-19.

Speaking at a WHO briefing, senior WHO official Maria Van Kerkhove stressed that hantavirus is not a new virus and should not be mistaken for another coronavirus-style pandemic.

READ ALSO: Ghana overtakes Côte d’Ivoire and Ethiopia to become Africa’s 8th largest economy, 2nd in West Africa

According to WHO, hantaviruses have existed for decades and are mainly spread through contact with infected rodents, not through easy human-to-human transmission like COVID-19.

Hantavirus is a group of viruses carried mainly by rodents such as rats and mice. Humans can become infected through exposure to rodent urine, saliva or droppings, especially in poorly ventilated or infested areas.

The disease can cause severe respiratory illness known as Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) or Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome (HCPS), which can become fatal in serious cases. In Europe and Asia, other strains can affect the kidneys and blood vessels.

Health experts say hantavirus infections are commonly linked to:

• Farms and rural communities

• Forests and campsites

• Rodent-infested homes or buildings

• Cleaning dusty, enclosed spaces with rat droppings

• Areas with heavy rodent populations

The current outbreak has been linked to the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius after passengers reportedly travelled through parts of South America, including Argentina, before boarding.

READ ALSO: Benjamin Asare earns Black Stars call-up for Mexico friendly ahead of world Cup

The WHO says passengers from at least 12 countries are being monitored following the outbreak. Countries involved in tracing or monitoring passengers include:

• United States

• United Kingdom

• Germany

• Netherlands

• Canada

• France

• Switzerland

• Denmark

• Singapore

• South Africa

• Cabo Verde

• Argentina

As of the latest WHO update:

• 8 cases have been reported

• 5 are laboratory-confirmed

• 3 remain suspected cases

• 3 deaths have been recorded

WHO data also shows that across the Americas, 8 countries recorded 229 hantavirus cases and 59 deaths in 2025 alone.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and WHO, symptoms may appear between 1 and 8 weeks after exposure and can include:

READ ALSO: Donald Trump questions high World Cup ticket prices, says he wouldn’t pay over $1,000

• Fever

• Headache

• Muscle pain

• Chills

• Dizziness

• Nausea and vomiting

• Abdominal pain

• Diarrhoea

• Cough

• Difficulty breathing

• Rapid respiratory failure in severe cases

Health experts say most hantavirus strains do not spread from person to person. However, the Andes strain found in parts of South America is one of the few known variants capable of limited human-to-human transmission through prolonged close contact. WHO officials insist the overall public health risk remains low.

Health authorities say there is no indication of another global lockdown or pandemic-level threat at this stage. Unlike COVID-19, hantavirus is not highly contagious and usually requires direct exposure to infected rodents or very close contact in rare cases.