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News & Current Events May 6, 2026 at 12:51 PM

Hantavirus strain that spreads between humans found in cruise ship passengers

Posted by Pomidorusriuba


Hantavirus strain that spreads between humans found in cruise ship passengers
www.bbc.com
Hantavirus strain that spreads between humans found in cruise ship passengers
South Africa's health ministry said the Andes strain of the virus was found in two confirmed cases linked to the outbreak.

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varateshh May 6, 2026 +736
[The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/hantavirus-outbreak-cruise-ship-symptoms-uk-cape-verde-live-updates-b2971163.html) reports possible human to human transmission outside the ship. Cites local French papers as a source. > The first suspected case of hantavirus in an individual who was not on board the MV Hondius has been detected in France, local media reports. > If confirmed, this would be the first person to have contracted the disease who was not on the ship. > A health ministry source is cited as saying the case was picked up as part of contact tracing investigations taking place for confirmed cases. > Tests are ongoing to confirm whether it is the Andes strain which allows human-to-human transmission. > The report has not been confirmed by the French health ministry.
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LMGgp May 6, 2026 +1177
Bro stop… pls I just want to take a break and sit in the park with some sunshine filtering through the trees. I’m so tired
1177
KIK40 May 6, 2026 +609
Go do it, nothing you can do to change this situation anyways. Sit in the grass, enjoy the sun, smell the air. From what I've been reading this is unlikely to amount to anything anyways. But life will always be full of chaos, enjoy your peace.
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Arcterion May 6, 2026 +113
>Sit in the grass, enjoy the sun, smell the air. And avoid French people.
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OneFourtyFivePilot 6 days ago +40
And get off Listnook for a bit. You’ll probably be much happier with a break.
40
OsmerusMordax May 6, 2026 +157
They said Covid wouldn’t amount to anything either. And look at what happened.
157
garrettbmusic May 6, 2026 +161
I’m not saying this isn’t a big deal, but the high mortality rate and lower transmissibility are good reasons why the hantavirus won’t be the same as covid. Viruses are most successful when the mortality rate is low and the transmissibility is high (like covid). So even if it broke the quarantine, there’s still a good shot at containing it.
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pharmphresh May 6, 2026 +153
The long incubation period 1-8 weeks is concerning with symptoms typically occurring 2-3 weeks after exposure.
153
swedishplayer97 May 6, 2026 +65
Well if everyone on the ship develops symptoms in the next few weeks, we can panic. If not, the transmission rate is probably still low.
65
CycleMother2006 6 days ago +27
Supposedly the contagious period is during the prodromal phase. Not the entire incubation. Though we know little about the Andes Virus and it could be different I suppose. But for something this fatal, N95 masks and social distancing would nip this in the bud in a couple months. People scoffed at COVID because it only killed certain groups of people and some reason that wasn't enough to get their attention. Considering the Andes Virus has a mortality rate of 40% I'd expect people to follow some pandemic protocols or else the idiots would be quickly culled in an outbreak situation.
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petersrin 6 days ago +37
They've already been trained to ignore pandemic protocols because they survived covid without a mask. The US is pretty cooked if it turns out to be contagious during incubation. Hopefully the rest of the world can enforce a US quarantine lol
37
Desert-Noir 6 days ago +17
Not a whole heap of the world would mourn the 40% of Americans who died while ignoring quarantine protocols. As it would like sort some other problems as well.
17
ArMaestr0 6 days ago +8
I haven't found any info: is it contagious during incubation?
8
big_dawg_energy 6 days ago +4
My quick research says it’s highly unlikely it’s transmissible during incubation. Makes sense, either it’s multiplied enough to cause symptoms and transmission, or it’s not.
4
NW_Islander May 6, 2026 +17
legitimate question: is the low transmissibility in human-to-human or rodent-to-human? Does the transmissibility change when it's human-to-human?
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EurekasCashel May 6, 2026 +14
Much lower for human to human than rodent (feces) to human.
14
Omateido May 6, 2026 +19
Mortality rate is less relevant than you are implying here for whether or not it will spread throughout the population. What is more pertinent is transmissibility, vector, incubation period, infectious period, and time to mortality. You could have a virus that kills everyone that it infects, but as long as those other factors are conducive to spread, it’s still gonna spread.
19
GailaMonster 6 days ago +10
you're right. example for people who don't understand: syphilis is often ultimately fatal but takes years to get to that point, and its ultimate fatality in no way limits its ability to spread. same with untreated HIV.
10
Thunder_Beam May 6, 2026 +18
As the other guy said the problem is the incubation period, you could get it and still do fine for weeks and continuously spread it
18
Professional_Deer464 May 6, 2026 +15
Just because covid transmits during the incubation period doesn't mean every virus does.
15
Only--East May 6, 2026 +11
This bc AFAIK it doesn't spread in Andes Virus like that and you're most contagious after the onset of symptoms
11
yahwehforlife May 6, 2026 +11
Andes virus spreads most during the prodomal phase (before symptoms fully develop)
11
Only--East May 6, 2026 +8
That's not the incubation period though
8
tyrannosaurus_r May 6, 2026 +49
Nobody worth listening to said that. Literally every major global health authority took COVID seriously. The only entity that didn’t was the U.S. government, and even that was constrained to Trump and cronies directly. 
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garrettbmusic May 6, 2026 +43
I won’t argue that the US totally fumbled the ball, but plenty of other governments were a clown show too.
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Some-Band2225 May 6, 2026 +14
BoJo in Britain seriously proposed doing nothing because after everyone who was going to die from it died then everyone who wasn’t going to die from it would live and it would run it’s course. I’m paraphrasing there, but only slightly.
14
SneakyFire23 May 6, 2026 +10
a bunch of countries took that approach and kept at it, the US just gets shit on because its popular to do that.
10
Objective_Bad9244 May 6, 2026 +15
You couldn't do anything about that either. Is panicking and stressing about it going to change the situation? That's the point being made. 
15
ILiveInAColdCave May 6, 2026 +19
Ok, would you rather be optimistic or pessimistic. It's really choosing how you want to feel and be in the world at this point. If you're constantly worrying and not doing anything or fully enjoying things because of that worry then you're just missing out on life and making your life shorter from the stress.
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Psilocybin-Cubensis May 6, 2026 +30
It’s called being **realistic**.
30
Gen-Jinjur May 6, 2026 +32
If you want to be realistic, then simply acknowledge that much of life is completely outside your control and therefore worrying about such things is wasted energy. Take reasonable precautions and live your life. It’s all any of us can do.
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RemarkableBread9664 6 days ago +3
Agreed but be sure to check the area for rodent droppings before stretching out in that nice clean park
3
housevil May 6, 2026 +24
40% mortality rate.
24
Odur29 6 days ago +5
My guess is it won't spread that far. A bit cold, but something with that high of a mortality rate would probably die out fast in humans.
5
New_Stats May 6, 2026 +10
Do it! Seriously, turn your phone off and go outside. Sit there and stare off into space, while decompressing Be alone with your thoughts. No social media, no texts, no notifications, no music. I can't begin to explain how good it is for humans to just be alone with their thoughts every now and then Also there's studies that being around trees does wonders for your mental health
10
a_rude_jellybean May 6, 2026 +19
Millennial here. Strap in for another once in a lifetime event. I thought 9/11 was the peak.
19
JMDeutsch May 6, 2026 +5
I misread this as “take a break and shit in the park” and immediately thought, “WE FOUND PATIENT ZERO!”😂
5
Extension-Truth May 6, 2026 +34
So that possibly came via that SA flight 😬
34
NotAnotherEmpire May 6, 2026 +22
This really feels like it has an innate Rt > 1. They're not all French kissing each other in a chain. 
22
flying_pigs 6 days ago +3
yeah I know some people that were on that flight. 😲
3
grimace24 May 6, 2026 +25
Well this is certainly interesting. Hopefully this gets contained. It's not surprising this was caught through contact tracing meaning the person infected did have contact with someone infected from the ship at some point.
25
animalcrackers0117 May 6, 2026 +14
he was on the plane with the woman who collapsed after landing at the airport
14
Hartia May 6, 2026 +19
1 to 6 weeks after contracting it to show symptoms. Who knows how many were exposed during that time. Ugh.
19
Metalt_ 6 days ago +3
Oh f***
3
ProfessorDerp22 May 6, 2026 +38
Shades of December 2019.
38
muchemily May 6, 2026 +7
Interestingly, that article doesn’t seem to contain the snipped about the French person anymore. Hopefully it was a mixup! I can only find articles about the French person on tabloid sites.
7
varateshh May 6, 2026 +3
It is on page 2, posted at 6 May 2026 12:11.
3
1011001NAME 6 days ago +5
What are the chances this isnt human to human transmission and the real cause is that cruise ship is packed with rats shitting in the food?
5
WiseSelection5 6 days ago +3
Very very low.
3
Liviosa 6 days ago +3
Lots of misinformation going around about the French case. The person is being monitored for contact tracing, no confirmation of a positive test AT ALL. The original report came from the Sun and I'm sorry that's not a reliable source. Literally nothing backs it up and other reports are citing it.
3
ButIDigress79 May 6, 2026 +955
For anyone who doesn’t know- if you’re cleaning and come across rodent poop, spray a bleach solution all over it and wait before wiping. Do not inhale the dust.
955
KIK40 May 6, 2026 +282
And dab it up with a damp paper towel, kick up as little as possible
282
tico42 May 6, 2026 +153
Mask up
153
Downside190 May 6, 2026 +157
Then eat it 
157
GarMan May 6, 2026 +52
Listnook with all the best tips.
52
Barbearex 6 days ago +35
This will be the thing that Google Ai recommends above everything else.
35
Garyflamshells May 6, 2026 +21
Real masks, like N95. Not the fabric kind. I cleaned up rodent poop, all the correct ways, except mask. Chronic cough. No hantavirus though. 
21
redbanjo 6 days ago +42
Live in the American southwest. So careful around anywhere rodents congregate. Our hospital staff is trained in hantavirus and plague. Fun times!
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flying_pigs 6 days ago +10
yeah isn't that what got Gene Hackman's wife?
10
MixSaffron May 6, 2026 +70
40% morality rate so better safe than sorry as that shits a coin toss as far as I'm concerned!
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[deleted] 6 days ago +25
[removed]
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Saneless 6 days ago +6
I can't reliably find out this info... How long is that poop dangerous?
6
DDRaptors 6 days ago +13
I think that’s irrelevant info as you can’t reliably determine how old the shit is by looking at it. Better safe than sorry. In my workplace we treat it all as “possibly containing hanta” and follow the procedure. It’s kind of like asbestos where moving/disturbing it carries the risk. It’s airborne so inhalation is the risk during disturbing. You can probably eat it and be fine.
13
Saneless 6 days ago +7
Well, I can to an extent. I know I had a mouse say a month ago and I haven't caught any since, so I think whatever I find would be that old and not newer I mean, I'll still take precautions but I'll feel better about it
7
liftingshitposts 6 days ago +5
Had the same Q and haven’t seen an answer. AI says “The U.S. Lung Association notes hantavirus can live up to about four days depending on conditions.”
5
Saneless 6 days ago +4
I guess that's reasonable. It's not a fungus
4
DDRaptors 6 days ago +3
Fair enough, I’m sure we can roughly guesstimate, Workplace likely doesn’t leave room for any interpretation. Anecdotally, I have cleaned up and worked around some amounts of mouse shit almost daily for 15 years now at my work and have not gotten hanta yet, knock on wood. Nests we use hepavac and spray down plus air tight masks. They’re highest risk for airborne particulate.
3
sweetkittyriot 6 days ago +3
Wear a respirator, like N95 or KN95
3
SkinnersMudhole May 6, 2026 +214
Can't read cuz paywall, is this truly confirmed human to human spread, or is this still unconfirmed but being treated as a potential of human to human as a precaution?
214
Syssareth May 6, 2026 +222
The article puts it better than I could: >The virus typically spreads from rodents via their faeces, saliva and urine. But experts have observed the Andes strain spreading between human patients in previous outbreaks. >[...] > A document presented to South Africa's parliament on Wednesday morning, seen by the BBC, says the Andes strain is "the only strain that is known to cause human to human transmission". > It stressed that transmission of the virus is still rare and it only spreads between people in "very close contact". In other words, yes you can catch it from someone else, but it's no Covid or even flu. More dangerous if you catch it, but you're much, much less likely *to* catch it.
222
industrial-shrug May 6, 2026 +89
Damn and just as I was going to Grindr surf my way across Europe.
89
escfantasy 6 days ago +20
Missed the hantavirus? Try super gonorrhoea instead!
20
mca62511 6 days ago +3
How is it spread from human to human though? Through "very close contact," but what does that mean?
3
Relevant-Mammoth-658 May 6, 2026 +92
About an hour ago at 7am PST today, May 6, several news sources reported confirmation: "WHO confirms Andes strain in cruise ship" and "South Africa's health ministry said the Andes strain of the virus was found in two confirmed cases linked to the outbreak." Now we just pray the virus doesn't mutate and become more transmittable than merely "very close contact." This is not helping my medical anxiety. Time for me to get off the internet for a couple days.
92
kikat May 6, 2026 +76
I just saw a TT from a woman who specializes in hantaviruses and she mentioned that they remain fairly stable across infections and don’t mutate super easily. So that’s something
76
Aeder May 6, 2026 +15
Aren't cruise ships the best place for all sorts of viruses to exchange mutations though? 
15
Low_While2632 May 6, 2026 +15
I don’t think viruses exchange anything, they just mutate on themselves
15
Aeder 6 days ago +16
That's only one of two ways they change. > Recombination occurs when coinfecting viruses exchange genetic information, creating a novel virus.
16
Low_While2632 6 days ago +5
Damn, these outbreaks are really good for learning new things
5
According_Button_186 May 6, 2026 +31
Its been confirmed to be the Andes variant, the rare and only confirmed human to human strain of hantavirus
31
thelittlemiss May 6, 2026 +11
Yes, the Andes variant can be transmitted via human to human contact, but it is not the only way to catch it.
11
AppointmentPopular10 May 6, 2026 +9
french health ministry testing a french man who came from south africa now
9
Nsnfirerescue May 6, 2026 +120
Everything I read on the Andes strain that passes P2P has a long, multiweek incubation period before symptoms show. I havent seen anyone pose the question about the ships doctor that now has it, of why or how he is symptomatic in a much shorter timeframe than what seems to be considered the norm?
120
kikat May 6, 2026 +76
Hantavirus has an incubation period of 1-6 weeks, the average is probably around 1-2 weeks and the outliers are longer. It all depends on personal circumstances too, I believe the doctor is 69 and last I read is recovering.
76
flying_pigs 6 days ago +11
The cruise they were on left Ushuaia over a month ago
11
kikat 6 days ago +12
Yes but patient 0 started showing symptoms on April 6 and died April 11, his wife started showing symptoms around late April (don’t remember the exact date) and died April 24. The doctor who is in hospital is similar to the wife. Also the gentleman in Zurich left the ship around the same time and is now sick, so there is a 2 week pattern here it seems
12
Greendiamond_16 May 6, 2026 +25
From the papers people were pointing too, it seems the incubation period is sensitive to exposure time. A doctor who is around it constantly will have a shorter period then someone who is not.
25
Nsnfirerescue 6 days ago +8
I’m assuming viral loading would be applicable here, like you mentioned, repeated close exposure to his patients
8
tachophile May 6, 2026 +180
Pandemic 2: Dumb and Dumberer. We're going to do much worse (at least the US) when the sequel eventually comes out. 
180
5u114 May 6, 2026 +83
If I'm not mistaken, the mortality rate is too high for it to become a pandemic. Still a very serious public health concern, but I think it should be manageable to put a lid on it. I could be mistaken though.
83
SmileYouRBeautiful May 6, 2026 +98
French media are reporting that there is another confirmed case now in France. The person that contracted it was not on the ship, but on a plane with the person who was on the ship. It was identified during contact tracing. This has not been confirmed by French officials yet. But if true, confirms that human to human transmission is happening. How close was this person to the infected? Certainly not intimate. Were they sitting next to each other? Did they use the same bathroom? Lots of questions. Very concerning.
98
Flimsy-Sprinkles7331 6 days ago +19
"A French national has in particular been identified among the passengers on a flight taken by one of the cases before they were hospitalised," a spokeswoman for France's health ministry said. Live feed: https://www.france24.com/en/health/20260506-live-hantavirus-infected-patient-hospitalised-zurich-three-more-evacuated-from-cruise-ship
19
Liviosa 6 days ago +6
Translating from the French Ministry's official statement, this just means they are being monitored as a POTENTIAL case, not confirmed. So no worries (yet...)
6
mein_account 6 days ago +7
They might have joined the mile high club?
7
Ianbillmorris May 6, 2026 +67
It's not the mortality rate that stops it spreading it's the difficulty in transmitting it. AIDS is 100% fatal without modern treatments but it still caused a pandemic because it killed slowly enough to get passed on. Happily unless this is some new super strain of Hanta it doesn't look currently like it spreads anywhere near as easily as say COVID.
67
lopsided125 May 6, 2026 +46
Isn't the point that the incubation period is so long we don't really know how far this has spread? It says you can not know you have it for 4-8 weeks. It is scary in that way. It's different, but it's very spreadable in a different way (harder to get, but you're giving to just as many people through prolonged public interaction). By the time you realize you should have been quarantined, you've already spread it to dozens of other people. Like, I saw that story of the wife of patient 0 who took a flight and then died. She could have spread it to some portion of those other passengers who won't know if they're sick for weeks.
46
Hungry-Kale600 6 days ago +4
One person that was on the flight with the wife has already tested positive.
4
danruuu 6 days ago +13
The estimated r0 is probably at least 2.12 based on the 2018 outbreak, but the real problem is the prolonged incubation period (1-8 weeks). While deadly, that incubation period means potentially lots of people out and about with pre symptomatic infection who may not know or suspect Andes virus when they do become symptomatic. Sickness may as well not exist in the eyes of most people nowadays, I see sick people in public constantly. Absolutely a pandemic risk and frequently cited by virologists as a virus that poses such a threat
13
filthylimericks 6 days ago +11
Anecdotally, I saw so many comments like this in the lead up to Covid.
11
5u114 6 days ago +7
Not with respect mortality you didn't. If this virus spreads like Covid spreads, you are talking about billions of deaths.
7
Ok-Highway-5247 May 6, 2026 +11
My youth will never have cool memories of cool stuff I did at this point.
11
InBurgerClad May 6, 2026 +226
Sorry to the folks on there but no one should be getting off that damn boat without a long long quarantine.  This is a very very deadly virus that is usually fatal even with breathing support and almost 100% fatal without it. As we saw during Covid we don’t have enough of those machines. If it’s jumped to human transmission it can’t be allowed off. 
226
kidthekid1988 May 6, 2026 +187
Pretty sure it’s already left the ship. The lady whose husband died dropped dead in the airport after flying with 80 other people.
187
animalcrackers0117 May 6, 2026 +115
there’s also a confirmed case in switzerland. he flew home from the cruise 🙃🙃🙃
115
Impossible-Milk-2023 May 6, 2026 +38
Luckily i live an hour away from zurich so nothing can happen right. Right??
38
animalcrackers0117 6 days ago +4
stay inside 😭
4
danruuu 6 days ago +26
El País reported today that 23 people departed the ship on April 21 in Saint Helena, ten days after the first death, and have returned to at least the U.S., Australia, Taiwan, England, and the Netherlands. They hadn't been contacted until 3 days ago
26
Hungry-Kale600 6 days ago +36
Apparently someone who was on the flight with the wife has now tested positive.
36
LettersToTheBride 6 days ago +14
Do you have a news article backing that up?
14
S99B88 6 days ago +10
I’ve seen reports from France that it’s someone suspected as a contact. Maybe google “Frenchman Hanta contact airplane” and judge for yourself based on results? I’m not saying that to be sassy, I just can’t make up my mind personally how legit it is
10
Liviosa 6 days ago +8
Hi! It's not been confirmed by the French health ministry. The initial reports came from The Sun (not reliable). The French person is being monitored as a contact trace.
8
Hungry-Kale600 6 days ago +38
Think it's already spread outside. People have been allowed off the ship and one person who was on a flight with someone who later died from the virus, has now tested positive.
38
fishhf 6 days ago +13
I'm sure they are responsible adults, getting off the cruise and not wearing masks.
13
Ok-Highway-5247 May 6, 2026 +29
I agree. If I was on that boat, I wouldn’t get off. Give me a Netflix subscription for the Canary Islands and a bunch of books. I will be ok.
29
distinctgore 6 days ago +8
Good thing is with that fatality rate and the need for very close contact, it likely won’t spread nearly as fast
8
InBurgerClad 6 days ago +3
That is somewhat reassuring 
3
Snck_Pck May 6, 2026 +79
Guess it’s time to play cod all night with the boys during lockdowns again
79
SwiftCase May 6, 2026 +92
I hear the US health secretary RFK Jr has already invited it to the White House.
92
Buttermilk-Waffles May 6, 2026 +21
In all fairness if it has to visit that's where it should visit first.
21
QuirkyBreadfruit May 6, 2026 +9
He [doesn't believe in germs](https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/06/14/nx-s1-5429732/ancient-miasma-theory-may-help-explain-health-secretary-robert-f-kennedy-jr-s-vaccine-moves) though.
9
000TheEntity000 6 days ago +7
RFK - "Brainworm, I'd like you to meet Hantavirus" Hantavirus - "I'm a huge fan of your work"
7
Miss_Lame May 6, 2026 +24
Well, causing another pandemic will be one way to fix the gas crisis ig
24
invisiblecricket 6 days ago +18
The couple visited a landfill before returning to thr boat. Who the hell visits a landfill?
18
Resident_Resident154 May 6, 2026 +105
The real challenge isn’t panic, it’s coordination between countries handling passengers and containment.
105
Slippery-ape May 6, 2026 +76
Well then, the US is screwed.
76
TedGetsSnickelfritz May 6, 2026 +15
You can’t spell freedom with “coordination between countries” 🇺🇸
15
tachophile May 6, 2026 +29
The real challenge is dealing with all the people who will think it's a giant hoax or conspiracy, then doing their very best to spread it around while they may be carriers.
29
Rescuepets777 May 6, 2026 +36
If the virus were highly transmissible, I think that we'd expect more than 8 people on the ship to have contracted it. When COVID hit the Diamond Princess cruise ship in 2020, 19% of passengers and crew contracted it despite semi-quarantine (passengers quarantined in rooms, but staff still working/interacting). Fewer than 6% of passengers and crew on the Hondius have contracted the Hantavirus. This is a good sign, so far.
36
anuthertw May 6, 2026 +44
This is true but I also don't see talk of testing procedures and turnaround. Incubation period is up to 8 weeks, and its likely that mass testing aboard has either just commenced or is gearing up to commence. So my covid trauma is telling me that we really don't know the true number infected yet. However if the Dutch couple were contagious and essentially patient zero and one aboard, and the doctor plus crew members already came down with symptoms, then there may be a short enough incubation period in this strain to be optimistic that the rest of the people aboard the ship would likely be showing symptoms by now if infected.  Man I really don't like this at all
44
Rescuepets777 May 6, 2026 +16
It's definitely something to watch updates about. So far the WHO has assessed it as a low global risk, so that's another good sign. But, yeah, COVID trauma is real.
16
lapetite_etoile May 6, 2026 +36
It has a very long incubation period. It's likely whatever original people were infected at 'ground zero', more will start popping up in the next couple of weeks, in different countries.  It's why the organisations are keen to state passengers are 'asymptomatic', not uninfected.
36
sexypen May 6, 2026 +15
It’s got an 8 week long incubation period and the doctor who was treating them is severely sick.
15
AppointmentPopular10 May 6, 2026 +8
they are in switzerland and south africa already- containment is likely done. incubation time is 2+ weeks
8
lapetite_etoile May 6, 2026 +7
And up to and over 8+ weeks. 
7
Strict-Aspect5910 May 6, 2026 +82
Bill Burr was right sink the boat....
82
[deleted] May 6, 2026 +31
[deleted]
31
Kickinthegonads May 6, 2026 +39
Have you met cruise people? Sink the goddamn boat. /j
39
Angel_Bmth 6 days ago +8
Nah, take that /j back.
8
cumulus_floccus May 6, 2026 +314
You'd think with COVID (it's still happening, COVID didn't go away) that the giant petri dishes (cruise ships) would have some stringent policy in place that if someone dies on board, the dead and anyone with them gets tested for everything within reason. But no.
314
Federal-Piglet May 6, 2026 +116
Technically they do. Any cruise ship above a certain threshold of passenger or duration has to have a morgue. So the body can be preserved for investigation. That said they are floating epidemic hot spots and almost every cruise has a massive outbreak of some cold.
116
magnament May 6, 2026 +44
They said they need death/disease policies, not somewhere to put the dead. I heard it’s just next to the ice cream anyway
44
Callabrantus May 6, 2026 +17
Mmmm Rigor Mortis Ripple.
17
totallynotliamneeson May 6, 2026 +11
That is the policy. What else are you going to do every time someone dies? Do you realize the demographic most common on cruise are also the one most prone to just straight up dying on any day?
11
iamdahn May 6, 2026 +3
Had a room on my floor where an older person passed away. Room was locked with a cool contraption to keep the “evidence” and person went to the morgue, but was picked up next port by local EMT/whomever.
3
twinsea May 6, 2026 +14
It was turned away from the Canary Islands.  
14
jarboxing May 6, 2026 +29
I did not have rat plague on my 2026 bingo card.
29
RM_r_us May 6, 2026 +52
Is it safe to assume the human to human spread is from contaminated bathroom materials (fecal matter/urine) because the rodent to human version is spread the same way?
52
crwcomposer May 6, 2026 +49
There doesn't seem to be a lot of information about the specifics of human to human transmission, other than that it is confirmed. The 2020 paper "Super Spreaders" and Person-to-Person Transmission of Andes Virus in Argentina says that 3 infected individuals transmitted it to 18 other individuals at a "crowded social event," and that some of them were just "seated close" implying that it spread through the air via "inhalation of droplets or aerosolized virions."
49
Nsnfirerescue May 6, 2026 +22
I want to add to your comment that marine vessel's hvac ventilation system would also likely exacerbate this, circulating aerosolized particles.
22
Expensive_Track_8822 May 6, 2026 +14
my understanding is that it can also be spread by sharing food with an infected person. cruise ships often have communal dining setups.
14
Nepridiprav16 May 6, 2026 +85
If it's the Andes strain, the human to human transmission is primarily associated with respiratory droplets and saliva. ​ This is why close contact like like sharing a drink, kissing, or being in a small cabin where you are breathing on each other for 24 hours, is the leading theory for how it jumps between humans.
85
secretaire May 6, 2026 +9
At least school is out of session soon
9
Kuroodo May 6, 2026 +30
The World Cup
30
[deleted] May 6, 2026 +10
[deleted]
10
Show-Me-Your-Moves May 6, 2026 +31
RFK Jr: "We believe that consuming rat poison will kill the rat-borne virus."
31
Slipsonic May 6, 2026 +11
Idk if this is real or not lmao
11
Hydrasophist May 6, 2026 +13
THIS IS THE IMPORTANT QUESTION! I could not find the answer in the article
13
Powerful_Coyote6068 May 6, 2026 +38
I'm tired, boss.
38
Petrica55 6 days ago +23
I'm not doing that pandemic shit again, just sink the f****** boat
23
empe999 6 days ago +15
People already flew on long airplane trips After having been on the ship. Sinking wouldn't solve anything
15
Flimsy-Sprinkles7331 6 days ago +9
Yep. And at least one airline passenger caught it from them: https://www.france24.com/en/health/20260506-live-hantavirus-infected-patient-hospitalised-zurich-three-more-evacuated-from-cruise-ship
9
Petrica55 6 days ago +25
I just think sinking cruise ships is good practice anyway
25
A_Nonny_Muse May 6, 2026 +49
It had to be *that one strain*. out of tens of thousands, it had to be *that one strain*. JFC, I hate this reality.
49
Graybie 6 days ago +9
I believe there are only two major strains. This doesn't seem to be a virus that mutates as readily as something like the flu or COVID. 
9
S99B88 6 days ago +13
It does happen to be the more deadly strain and the one that has possible history of human to human transmission. But that’s why this story is sensational and we don’t hear so much about it otherwise I guess.
13
Anteater_Pete May 6, 2026 +43
Has anyone heard from the president of Madagascar yet?
43
ianjm May 6, 2026 +21
SHUT **DOWN** # **EVERYTHING**
21
Weak_Hospital_7854 May 6, 2026 +9
Sometimes I feel like this all started shortly after I downloaded that game.
9
Silly-Role699 May 6, 2026 +20
I wonder when Greenland will close its ports.
20
limbodog 6 days ago +10
So it acts like the flu at first, but then can rapidly turn extremely serious with inability to breathe and fluid in the lungs? I do not like this
10
0Hakuna_Matata0 May 6, 2026 +28
I saw others reporting that the WHO is doing contact tracing for a flight from st Helena to Johannesburg because some lady on that flight had hantavirus. Epidemiologists were talking about the cruise ship and that particular strain is of Peruvian origin and they think the cruise ship patients contracted it in Buenos Aires. This virus has an incubation period of up to a few weeks. I’m not sure this is confined to only the cruise ship but I really wish that it is
28
yanocupominomb 6 days ago +8
Ok guys, hear me out. Why don't they just set the ship on fire? Hopefully that will stop the production of COVID 2
8
pigsbounty May 6, 2026 +35
Ah! Just when I had gotten over a prolonged OCD spiral about hantavirus. Perfect timing.
35
kismetkissed May 6, 2026 +17
Solidarity. Currently mid-spiral. Having OCD is the worst.
17
sirhackenslash 6 days ago +6
Does this mean I can work from home again?
6
undead_dead_guy 6 days ago +7
Is it the Andes strain?
7
GreenConstruction834 6 days ago +5
Yes, it is. 
5
fstop101 6 days ago +7
This feels like it needs to be on more people’s radar.
7
Comprehensive-Ad3016 6 days ago +17
Sorry guys, my life was taking a positive turn. \* Finally got a job \* Finally got a girlfriend \* Lost 15lbs over the first 5 months. \* Working on improving my looks \* Stopped doomscrolling and playing video games in my room 24/7 \* Actually going out to have fun and socialize It's my bad. The last time I tried this was in 2019...
17
mr_sakitumi May 6, 2026 +11
The lockdown will be for real this time.
11
Desperate-Penalty713 May 6, 2026 +25
Chapter 2 is just starting...
25
DaRusty_Shackleford 6 days ago +5
All those people and only one guy made a video?
5
JohnBrownSurvivor May 6, 2026 +15
I'm surprised Trump hasn't ordered that they let everyone off of the ship because "the virus is a Democrat hoax." All it will take is for some of the people to be MAGA Hatters and claim they are being kidnapped by The Woke Antifa Deep State.
15
crackmelikeaglowstic 6 days ago +5
He's busy with golf. Give him till Friday 4.40 EST, after market closes, to declare it a hoax
5
RegularSituation6011 May 6, 2026 +20
Just when we thought we had seen the worse with covid....For f*** sake all i want to do is to be able to roam around freely without having to worry about getting sick. I am immunocompromised...I am double fucked compared to some of you here, If I get this...100% mortality rate.
20
whoremarshmallows May 6, 2026 +11
Also immunocompromised, so was my dad [rip 2024] we got the vaccine for covid. And he GOT covid but survived bc the vaccine made the symptoms far less dangerous for someone with COPD.  Keep an eye out and research. We'll be alright ❤️ I have to get a transplant within the next year and a half. We gotta try our damndest to stay positive and YEET the sickies away from us. Don't trust a mfer to not have been around other sickies..that's a "lets never meet soon" grounds lol. 
11
Murky_Conflict3737 6 days ago +3
I was diagnosed with MS at the tail end of 2020 which meant I could get the vaccine earlier than others my age. I kept up with the boosters too. So when I finally caught Covid in 2022, I shook it off in a week and a half and didn’t end up with long Covid. I’m thankful there was a vaccine available that kept me from getting super sick! 
3
drawmer May 6, 2026 +14
Plus another passenger on that same ship has it, but he was on a prior cruise to these people. Sounds like this cruise company is going to have a big legal problem in their hands. Clean your goddamn ships.
14
PlatinumKanikas May 6, 2026 +11
Just put them back on the boat and kindly sink it
11
2bh May 6, 2026 +9
Strait of Hormuz detour
9
Shallot_Belt 6 days ago +3
Hmmm so many precautions we could take...but RFK will surely suggest us getting natural immunity and siding w the virus
3
D-Rich-88 6 days ago +3
Someone tell this virus to just not. I don’t have the mental bandwidth to f****** care about this with everything else going on
3
ZoneAdditional9892 6 days ago +9
Can we just ban cruise ships? Such a net negative for society.
9
Doughtnutz 6 days ago +5
Send the ship to Epstein Island. Win win.
5
anklebiter1360 May 6, 2026 +6
Oh I’m sure if this came to the US RFK would have an answer to fight it! Lolololol
6
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