According to reports, three passengers aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship have died, one person remains in intensive care in South Africa, and several others were evacuated during the voyage. Public health agencies in Georgia, Arizona, and California are also monitoring residents who traveled on the ship and later returned home, according to The New York Times. None of those being monitored have shown signs of illness so far.
As concerns around the rare virus grow, some American pet owners may also be wondering whether household animals could pose any risk as infected rodents spread this virus. Here is what pet owners need to know about hantavirus.
Pets in the United States
The most common pets in the United States are dogs and cats, but millions of families also keep smaller animals at home. As per Forbes, small animals and rodents such as hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, chinchillas, rats, mice, rabbits (lagomorphs), and ferrets (carnivorans) are found in 6.7 million households.
Which animals carry the hantaviruses that cause HPS?
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, several wild rodents in North America can carry the hantaviruses responsible for Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), including the deer mouse, white-footed mouse, rice rat, and cotton rat. Because infected rodents often look normal, the CDC says it is difficult to identify whether a mouse or rat carries the virus just by appearance.
Can dogs and cats be infected with hantavirus and spread it?
Dogs and cats can be infected by hantavirus, most commonly after coming into contact with or preying on infected deer mice. However, pets generally do not become sick or show symptoms from the virus, as per the Washington State Department of Health.
The CDC notes that dogs and cats cannot spread hantaviruses to humans. Still, pets may indirectly increase exposure risk if they bring infected rodents into homes or other indoor spaces where people could come into contact with contaminated urine, droppings, or nesting materials.
What the CDC says about hantavirus and other pets
The CDC says hantaviruses are mainly spread from rodents to people and can cause serious illnesses affecting the lungs and kidneys.
According to CDC guidance, the virus can spread when “fresh urine, droppings, or nesting materials of an infected rodent are stirred up” and enter the air. People may become infected after breathing contaminated air particles.
The CDC also says the virus may spread when “saliva, urine, or feces from an infected animal gets into cuts in a person’s skin or their eyes, nose, or mouth.”
Should pet owners be worried about the hantavirus outbreak?
The CDC guidance focuses heavily on avoiding exposure to rodents and rodent waste, especially in homes or enclosed spaces where infestations may occur. “People should avoid contact with rodent urine, droppings, saliva, and nesting materials,” the guidance states.
The agency also notes that “Pet rodents, including pet rats, are not recommended for families with children 5 years old or younger, pregnant women, or people with weakened immune systems; they are at a greater risk of serious illness.”
While the CDC does not say people should panic about owning small pets, it mainly advised safe handling practices and proper rodent control measures.
Practical hantavirus prevention steps from the CDC
Health officials say reducing contact with wild rodents remains one of the most important prevention strategies.
“Rodent control is the primary strategy for preventing hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a disease caused by infection with certain hantaviruses,” the CDC says.
The agency recommends:
- Avoiding contact with rodent urine, droppings, saliva and nesting materials
- Safely cleaning areas where mice or rats may be present
- Sealing holes and gaps in homes or garages to prevent rodents from entering
- Using traps around homes to reduce infestations
- Cleaning up food sources that may attract rodents
- Keeping wild rats away from pet rats and rodent enclosures
More than 140 passengers and crew members were reportedly still aboard the MV Hondius as it departed Cape Verde for Spain’s Canary Islands.
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