The public health expert who led the White Home’s response to the coronavirus pandemic beneath the Biden administration says the hantavirus outbreak at the moment unfolding on a cruise ship is not going to grow to be the following international pandemic.
“I am involved in regards to the folks on the boat. I am not involved about all people else,” Dr. Ashish Jha, who was appointed White Home COVID-19 response coordinator by then-President Joe Biden in 2022, mentioned Friday on “Good Morning America.”
“This isn’t going to grow to be some pandemic,” Jha continued. “This isn’t a virus that spreads that simply. In case you’re sitting at dwelling watching, you are going to be nice.”
Hantavirus, a virus that can cause severe sickness and demise, has emerged within the headlines attributable to an outbreak aboard the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius, which departed from Argentina in early April.
Dr. Ashish Jha, former White Home COVID-19 response coordinator, speaks in regards to the hantavirus on “Good Morning America” on Might 8, 2026.
ABC Information
To this point, three individuals who have been aboard the ship are recognized to have died of the virus, and the overall variety of confirmed instances related to the outbreak is rising, in response to well being officers.
Hantavirus beforehand made headlines final 12 months after being recognized because the cause of death of actor Gene Hackman’s wife Betsy Arakawa, after the couple was discovered lifeless at their New Mexico dwelling in February 2025.
Jha, now a senior fellow at Harvard Kennedy College’s Belfer Middle for Science and Worldwide Affairs, answered “GMA” viewers’ questions Friday in regards to the virus and what folks ought to know.
Will hantavirus grow to be the following COVID-19 pandemic?
No. In line with Jha, hantavirus doesn’t have the potential to grow to be the following COVID-19 pandemic, which despatched nations around the globe into lockdown in 2020 and led to greater than 1 million deaths in the US alone.
“COVID unfold very, very simply, and it unfold even when you did not have signs,” Jha mentioned. “None of that’s true for hantavirus. So that is one thing that’s going to sort of burn itself out within the upcoming weeks or months.”
How uncommon is hantavirus?
Not solely is hantavirus uncommon, however the pressure recognized within the cruise ship outbreak is “very uncommon,” in response to Jha.
“Hantavirus itself is fairly uncommon. This pressure is uncommon — it is the one one the place you get unfold from individual to individual,” he mentioned. “I do not see this turning into some large international outbreak.”
Lower than 900 instances of hantavirus illness have been reported within the U.S. between 1993, when surveillance for the illness started within the U.S., and the tip of 2023, according to the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention.
What’s the kind of hantavirus within the newest outbreak, and the way does it unfold?
The pressure of hantavirus within the suspected cluster has been decided to be the Andes virus, which has been recognized to unfold person-to-person, according to the CDC.
Jha famous that in contrast to COVID-19, hantavirus takes a very long time to unfold from individual to individual.
“With COVID or flu, folks sitting subsequent to one another longer, you realize, hanging out, they’ll infect one another,” Jha mentioned. “With the Andes pressure, it takes extended publicity over many, many hours earlier than you’ll be able to infect any person.”
The cruise ship MV Hondius leaves Praia, Cape Verde, Might 6, 2026.
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Hantavirus can be solely unfold via folks with signs, in response to Jha. Signs of hantavirus sometimes seem one to eight weeks after contact with the virus and should embrace fever, fatigue and muscle aches, the CDC states.
Human-to-human transmission of hantavirus is uncommon and solely suspected for the Andes pressure, which originated in South America, according to the World Well being Group.
Hantaviruses are often unfold via rodents, together with rats and mice, principally from publicity to urine, droppings or saliva. Though the viruses can unfold via a rodent chew or scratch, such an infection is uncommon, in response to the CDC.
What occurs to folks aboard the cruise ship who aren’t contaminated with hantavirus?
The MV Hondius is predicted to reach in Spain’s Granadilla Port on Sunday, at which level passengers sporting full hazmat gear shall be transported by bus to the airport.
From there, the passengers will start boarding plane by nationality with 23 nationalities onboard in whole, in response to well being officers.
Jha mentioned passengers and public well being officers shall be monitoring intently for hantavirus signs.
“You do not unfold this virus till you may have signs. So if they do not have signs, they’re nice,” he defined. “In the event that they get fevers, get any of these different signs, then they have to get remoted, they have to get examined.”
Well being officers in a number of U.S. states say they’re monitoring some passengers who’ve already returned to the U.S. after being onboard the ship for potential hantavirus infections.
Is the world ready for one more international pandemic?
Jha mentioned that whereas hantavirus exhibits no indicators of turning into a world pandemic, it’s a reminder that nations should be prepared for the following pandemic to strike.
“We will get this beneath management, however we must be vigilant, as a result of we now stay in a world the place illness outbreaks that occur in a single place grow to be international rapidly,” Jha mentioned. “And we have got to have the system to handle all that, completely.”
Jha mentioned he believes the U.S. particularly must take steps to higher put together for future pandemics, together with investing in illness surveillance and analysis on vaccines and coverings.
“We have got to get our act collectively and get ready, as a result of if it is not hantavirus, it is going to be one thing else down the highway, and we must be way more ready than we’re,” he mentioned.
ABC Information’ Mary Kekatos contributed to this report.
