In a post-COVID world, headlines about a spreading respiratory virus can be jarring, to say the least.
Hantavirus, an illness-causing virus carried and spread by rodents, has reignited pandemic-era anxieties for some as passengers aboard a luxury cruise ship, the MV Hondius, contend with an outbreak. The Spain-bound ship and its roughly 150 passengers have been quarantined off the coast of Cape Verde for days, with eight identified infections and three deaths aboard so far.
To help make sense of the headlines, we invited readers to send in their questions and asked USA TODAY journalists to break down the answers.
Here are some of the questions you asked USA TODAY:
Hantavirus is a family of viruses naturally carried by rodents. While more than 50 species have been identified, a limited number of these species are known to infect humans, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Hantavirus is most commonly spread by exposure to rat droppings, urine or saliva.
