Hantavirus: what we know about the cruise ship outbreak

Hantavirus: what we know about the cruise ship outbreak

From What's That Rash? by ABC Australia

May 11, 2026 · 13 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius and compares it to COVID-19 handling.

A cruise ship at the centre of a virus outbreak — sound familiar? Passengers and crew are beginning to disembark the MV Hondius after several cases of hantavirus sent them into quarantine. The virus is usually caught through contact with infected rodent urine, droppings or saliva. Transmission between humans is rare. Norman and Tegan answer common questions about the hantavirus, and how it compares to the handling of COVID-19.

People in this episode

Hosts: Norman, Tegan

Topics covered

  • hantavirus
  • cruise ship outbreak
  • virus transmission
  • COVID-19 comparison
  • public health

Keywords

  • hantavirus
  • MV Hondius
  • virus outbreak
  • quarantine
  • rodent transmission

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: ABC Australia

Places: MV Hondius

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