hanta virus on a cruise ship

boerne — Mon, 04 May 2026 22:00:26 GMT

ok this is bad. Hanta is pretty much from rodents. Physicians in the SW USA are aware of it as it is endemic in New Mexico. But not so much anymore. Got to keep the rats off the ship. It is not a rat bite, it's the aerosol of rat poop you may breathe in. From Openevidence.com AI. I have never seen a case but I was aware because of my career in TX and OK and people travel. Likely the EU or Asian version since it was near Capetown.

Apparent hantavirus outbreak kills 3 on cruise ship, sickens at least 3 more, health officials say - CBS NewsHantavirus is a zoonotic, enveloped, negative-sense single-stranded RNA virus (family Hantaviridae) transmitted to humans primarily through inhalation of aerosolized rodent excreta (urine, droppings, saliva) or direct rodent contact. [1] It causes two major clinical syndromes: hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Europe and Asia, and hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) in the Americas. [1]

Epidemiology and Transmission

Hantaviruses infect approximately 200,000 people annually worldwide. [2-3] Key causative species include:

Old World (HFRS): Hantaan virus (HTNV), Dobrava virus (DOBV), Puumala virus (PUUV), Seoul virus (SEOV)
New World (HCPS): Sin Nombre virus (SNV), Andes virus (ANDV)

Transmission is typically via aerosolized rodent excreta, though ANDV is unique in demonstrating person-to-person transmission, particularly through close or sexual contact. [1] The incubation period ranges from 5�50 days (median ~18 days). [1][4]

Clinical Presentation

Both syndromes share a prodromal phase of fever, headache, myalgia, and gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain), followed by divergent organ-specific manifestations: [1]

HCPS: Rapid progression from prodrome to noncardiogenic pulmonary edema, respiratory failure, and cardiogenic shock. Case fatality rate is approximately 35�40%. Classic lab findings include thrombocytopenia, left-shifted leukocytosis, hemoconcentration, and immunoblasts on peripheral smear. [2][5-6]
HFRS: Classically progresses through five phases (febrile → hypotensive → oliguric → diuretic → convalescent), with prominent acute kidney injury, coagulopathy, and hemorrhagic manifestations. Severity varies by virus: DOBV and HTNV cause severe disease (mortality 5�15%), while PUUV causes milder nephropathia epidemica (mortality <1%). Notably, there is significant overlap between syndromes � respiratory involvement occurs in >50% of HFRS, and renal dysfunction can occur in HCPS. [1][7-8]

Diagnosis

Serology is the primary diagnostic method: IgM antibodies against the nucleocapsid protein are typically present at symptom onset, with IgG appearing by the end of the febrile prodrome. ELISA is the standard confirmatory test. [1]
RT-qPCR (targeting the S segment) is sensitive and specific; viral loads are higher in buffy coat than plasma. RT-qPCR can detect ANDV RNA up to 2 weeks before symptom onset. [1]
Presumptive diagnosis of HCPS can be made with bilateral pulmonary infiltrates on chest radiograph plus thrombocytopenia, leukocytosis, and hemoconcentration in the appropriate epidemiologic context. [6]

Treatment

There is no FDA-approved antiviral therapy or vaccine for hantavirus in the United States or Europe. [3][8] Management is primarily supportive:

US low-cost airlines seek temporary tax relief to address soaring fuel costs

hiker67 — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 20:19:02 GMT

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveb...update=4508544

The CEOs of major low-cost airlines are set to meet tomorrow with US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy as they urge Congress to provide temporary tax relief to partially offset the soaring cost of jet fuel sparked by the war with Iran.

A group representing Spirit Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Allegiant Air, Sun Country and Avelo last week wrote leaders in Congress asking lawmakers to pass legislation to suspend the 7.5 percent federal excise tax on airline tickets and a $5.30 per segment tax.

Waiving the fees would offset about one-third of the incremental cost of higher jet fuel, said the Association of Value Airlines.

VFS Global needs to start paying for their bad service!

Joyce J — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 22:18:59 GMT

For some time now, we�ve faced serious technical blocks accessing their website. We�ve even had a family member's visa rejected because VFS failed to hand over the valid documents we provided. They are using their monopoly to provide a broken, dishonest service.When I complain, they close my tickets in bad faith without fixing anything. I won't stop until the Embassies fix this problems for *EVERYONE* , not just those who complain the loudest. I've set up a petition to bring them go account!

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hanta virus on a cruise ship

US low-cost airlines seek temporary tax relief to address soaring fuel costs

VFS Global needs to start paying for their bad service!