Long before recent hantavirus headlines sparked renewed global surveillance efforts, the virus had claimed nearly 900 cases in the past thirty years, according to data logged by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Shaina Montiel was merely five years old when it struck her down, with a week of persistent vomiting and stomach cramps that her doctor initially dismissed as influenza.
"Even touching my hair was painful. I have distinct memories of having stomach pains and nausea and just feeling sick," the American told GB News, noting that antibiotics proved ineffective as her condition deteriorated rapidly.
"One of the most serious symptoms was when I was too weak to walk. But the uncontrollable blood stool was the most disturbing and frightening symptom."
Shaina says the hantavirus is a pathogen you never want to catch
|INSTAGRAM / SHAINA MONTIEL
"The memory of riding in the ambulance by myself, thinking I might die, was something I have never forgotten," Montiel said.
Her warning comes amid the ongoing MV Hondius outbreak, which has claimed three lives and prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to urge nations to brace for additional infections.
"I think a lot of people are assuming this is some new virus that isn't real," Montiel observed. "Although I think it's not something that we need to panic over, it's very much real and not a virus you ever want to catch!"
The cruise vessel travelling from Argentina to Cape Verde is the epicentre of the latest hantavirus outbreak, after a Dutch couple and a German passenger succumbed to the Andes variant of the virus.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus addressed reporters in Madrid on Tuesday alongside Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
Nine cases of the Andes strain have now been confirmed by the WHO, including a French woman and an American national who tested positive following their evacuation from the vessel.
The French patient's condition has taken a grave turn. Paris health officials confirmed late on Tuesday that the 65-year-old woman, who has underlying health conditions, now requires intensive care support.
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Spain has confirmed its first positive case
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Dr Xavier Lescure explained that she is suffering from "the most severe form of cardiopulmonary presentation".
"She is on an artificial lung and a blood bypass to allow her, we hope, to get through this stage," he told reporters.
Meanwhile, Spain has confirmed its first positive case among the 14 nationals quarantined at a military hospital in Madrid.
The Spanish health ministry reported the patient displayed a low-grade fever and mild respiratory symptoms but remains stable without clinical deterioration.
The WHO has recommended a 42-day quarantine period alongside continuous monitoring of high-risk contacts.
Hantavirus poses a significant threat, with experts warning that the cardiopulmonary syndrome it causes carries a mortality rate of roughly 40 per cent.
An associate professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center's Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology said that while infections remain uncommon, they can prove life-threatening, making swift recognition and supportive treatment essential.
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MV Hondius is the epicentre of the recent hantavirus outbreak
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Diagnosis presents considerable difficulties. Early symptoms mirror influenza, manifesting as tiredness, headaches, muscle pain and fever.
"Antibody tests may not detect infection until symptoms have developed, which can make early diagnosis more challenging," the professor told GB News.
PCR-based testing, which identifies viral RNA in blood samples, offers greater sensitivity during the initial stages of illness.
The Andes strain demands particular vigilance as it remains the only hantavirus variant with documented person-to-person transmission.
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