SAUGUS — Public Health Nurse Teresa Riley-Singh spoke about the ongoing hantavirus situation in the U.S. at Monday night’s Board of Health meeting.
“We’ve all seen (it) on the news… It is a serious disease. People get hantavirus from rodents like rats and mice when exposed to urine, droppings, and saliva. It can also spread through a bite or a scratch from a rodent, but that is more rare,” Riley-Singh said.
Symptoms of the virus include fatigue, fever, muscle aches — especially in larger group muscles like legs, the back, and shoulders — headaches, dizziness, chills, abdominal pains, or gastrointestinal issues.
“Symptoms get worse instead of getting better,” she said regarding the comparison of the hantavirus and the flu.
Nine cases have occurred in the U.S. connected to the cruise ship passengers who contracted the virus. Seven of those cases have been confirmed, with two probable, and three deaths.
“That’s about a 34% fatality rate, and that is about common with the hantavirus,” she said. “… Seventeen Americans were on the ship. Out of 150 people, seven went home last month to California, Georgia, Texas, Virginia, and Arizona. And 10 were brought to Nebraska this past week to be isolated.”
One of the people brought to Nebraska has tested positive.
Riley-Singh said that from 1993 to 2023, the U.S. has seen 890 people affected by the hantavirus, and 390 died.
“In terms of numbers in each year for the last 30 years, that’s 29 cases in the whole U.S. each year,” she said. “… It’s not something to be super concerned about, but to be aware.”
The strain being found in those testing positive is the Andes strain, meaning it can be spread from person to person after originating from rodents.
