How worried should you be about hantavirus?

News of a hantavirus outbreak aboard an expedition cruise ship has put a spotlight on the rare but potentially deadly disease.

As of May 6, three passengers have died from acute respiratory illness and several additional cases are suspected among the other passengers and crew.

Health officials are investigating whether the virus, which is typically spread from rodents to humans, may in this case have spread between people on board the ship—a rare but concerning possibility.

Marieke Rosenbaum, assistant professor in the infectious disease and global health department at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, has been investigating whether rats in Boston carry hantavirus.

Here’s what she says the public needs to know about hantaviruses, the ship outbreak, and how to protect against the rodent-borne disease:

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