Should you be worried about hantavirus? Your questions, answered.

Headlines about the hantavirus outbreak are raising questions about the potentially deadly illness.

Five people have been confirmed to have the typically rodent-borne virus, and three others are suspected, according to the World Health Organization. Three people have died. Residents of multiple countries, including the United States, are now being monitored for the virus after either disembarking or coming into contact with people who traveled on the cruise ship tied to multiple cases of the virus.

A major question is whether people should be worried, and if the outbreak has pandemic potential.

In a May 7 media briefing, the World Health Organization maintained that "while this is a serious incident, WHO assesses the public health risk as low."

“This is not the start of an epidemic. This is not the start of a pandemic,” Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, director of the WHO’s Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Management added in the briefing.