Hantavirus: How worried should we be?

About this episode

This episode discusses the hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship and the associated risks of a pandemic.

A cruise ship in the middle of the Atlantic ocean has been hit by an outbreak of hantavirus. A number of passengers on the MV Hondius have been infected with the virus, and three have died. Some passengers have been evacuated from the ship and it’s currently anchored off Cape Verde, off the West coast of Africa. Spain had agreed to let it dock in the Canary Islands. But now, as we’re recording this podcast, the president of the Canary Islands has said he can’t allow the vessel to dock there. Hantavirus is a rare disease usually spread from infected rodents. In this episode we tell you everything you need to know about hantavirus and explain why the risk of another COVID-style pandemic is actually really low. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison, Benita Barden and Julia Ross-Roy Editor: Verity Wilde

People in this episode

Host: Hannah Gelbart

Topics covered

• hantavirus
• pandemic risk
• health outbreak
• cruise ship
• disease transmission

Keywords

• hantavirus
• MV Hondius
• Cape Verde
• Canary Islands
• pandemic risk
• disease
• health

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BBC World Service

Places: Atlantic ocean, MV Hondius, Cape Verde, Canary Islands, Spain

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