BLACKSBURG, Va., May 8 -- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University issued the following news release:
A Virginia Tech disease ecologist said the outbreak of Andes hantavirus aboard the international MV Hondius cruise ship underscores how little scientists still know about the viruses circulating silently in wild rodent populations before they spill into humans.
While most hantaviruses infect humans through animal-to-human transmission, the Andes strain is capable of spreading between people, highlighting global vulnerabilities in interconnected travel networks.
"Viruses with the ability to infect multiple species and spread silently between people deserve serious attention before outbreaks grow larger," said Virginia Tech dise...