Hantavirus misinformation runs rampant as the US is unequipped to respond to infectious disease health scare

The US’s withdrawal from the WHO – and cuts to the country’s health system – stymie officials’ response

• What is hantavirus?

• Where did the cruise ship hantavirus come from and what happens next?

The outbreak of hantavirus on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius illuminates major gaps in the US public health system – a worrying sign for stopping this outbreak quickly and preparing for a potential pandemic of a more widespread pathogen in coming years, experts say.

Passengers and their close contacts are at risk of hantavirus and need to follow public health guidance, but the danger for most people is near zero, officials and scientists say. Experts expect more cases in this outbreak to be identified, but they are emphatic that a hantavirus pandemic is highly unlikely.