A Deadly Hantavirus Can Spread Between Humans. Here's Why It's Not The Next COVID.

Health authorities quarantined and repatriated passengers after nine Andes virus cases, including three deaths, were linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius.

Andes virus is a serious hantavirus usually spread by rodents, though limited person-to-person transmission can occur in close-contact settings.

Experts say the outbreak is alarming but far less transmissible than COVID-19, so the public health response is different from an airborne pandemic.

Officials are using quarantine, PCR testing, and contact tracing to contain the risk while assessing exposure on the ship.