Hantavirus Outbreak Is Cause for Caution, Not Panic: Lisa Jarvis

A suspected outbreak of hantavirus on a cruise ship sailing the Atlantic Ocean has all the hallmarks of a nightmare scenario: A handful of people have fallen gravely ill, three have died, and nearly 150 people are stuck off the coast of Cape Verde while global health experts are scrambling to understand — and stop — the infections.

But while tragic, there’s no reason for panic. This likely isn’t the opening scene for a bigger, scarier movie.

That’s mainly because this type of virus isn’t known for easily spreading to and between humans. Still, infectious disease detectives need to quickly ...