Hantavirus Concerns Are Rising. Minnesota Experts Say Risk Is Low but Preparedness Is Key.
MSR staff writer Damenica Ellis reports on hantavirus concerns following two cruise ship cases, with University of Minnesota infectious disease expert Claudia Munoz-Zanzi explaining why widespread outbreak risk remains low, a frontline nurse raising concerns about inconsistent information and the Cultural Wellness Center's Atum Azzahir stressing the importance of cultural preparedness in communities of color.
Hantavirus, a virus carried by rodents most recently contracted by two cruise passengers, has raised concerns as questions of person-to-person spread linger in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Claudia Munoz-Zanzi, a University of Minnesota infectious disease expert, emphasizes that the risk of a widespread outbreak remains low. A frontline nurse shares concerns in her field, and the Cultural Wellness Center director stresses the importance of cultural preparedness.
“I think the concern nurses have right now is, just like COVID, we were under the impression it wouldn’t impact us,” said Lynnetta Muehlhauser, a pre- and post-operation nurse with the Minnesota Nurses Association. “What we’ve found is that communicable diseases aren’t the same as they used to be and the information that we get is also very limited or kind of varies.”
Munoz-Zanzi, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health who studies rodent-borne infections, says there is minimal risk concerning the hantavirus and Andes virus. The hantavirus is a family of viruses with many strains. The Andes virus is one strain now drawing attention as it spreads from human to human.
“This disease has been around … there are cases that occur on a regular basis in South America and even here in the U.S. Sporadic cases we can see regularly over the years,” Munoz-Zanzi said.
There have been two hantavirus cases “likely acquired” in Minnesota since 1999, and another Minnesota resident who acquired a hantavirus infection in the western U.S., according to the Minnesota Department of Health.
Transmission from one person to another is low, she said. The pathogen behaves differently from other viruses, making a larger outbreak unlikely. “Clusters tend to be very defined and haven’t gone beyond very close contacts, and then the cluster at some point is gonna die out.”
The slow spread also allows for more in-depth contact tracing and time to prepare for a worst-case scenario. “I was surprised that it has been in the news so much because again the risk is so low,” Munoz-Zanzi said.
Muehlhauser, who has 30 years of experience at the bedside including working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Twin Cities, said inconsistent information causes confusion and fear. She noted uncertainty about whether the virus spreads only through rodent feces and contaminated food, or through people as well.
“It’s the unknown, that’s scary,” Muehlhauser said. “This is what happened with COVID; they’re like ‘this has been around a long time.’”
She also noted that as 2020 moved further behind people, many stopped testing or worrying about disease altogether. “Some people still believe coronavirus wasn’t really a big deal, then there’s other people who lost family members and there’s still people to this day that I work with that test positive every three months and still get pretty significant symptoms,” she said.
Muehlhauser, who is involved in the Commission on Nursing Practice and Education, said she is not seeing any education in hospitals about what the spread of the virus means. “I feel like until we actually had a case show up in our doors… would they have a response and would we respond appropriately? Yes, but it would be more of a reactive versus a proactive approach.”
Not involving nurses in policy decisions is a problem now and was a problem during COVID, she said. “If they’re talking about it at the higher levels, they’re not distributing any information, to my knowledge, to the bedside workers right now about the hantavirus. The people that were making policies were the people that were isolating at home and safe. It wasn’t the people actually in the field doing the work.”
Funding cuts to the Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are also concerns. “Each area is doing their own little thing and there’s no consistency,” Muehlhauser said. “If you have cuts to those organizations, where are we getting our data from then?”
Following the COVID pandemic, some improvements have been made: command centers now distribute information faster, and hospitals are better stocked with personal protective equipment (PPE). The organization she works for monitors trends from the CDC and Minnesota Department of Health, resulting in mandatory masking periods when cases rise.
Muehlhauser also noted the health care field lost two generations of workers: baby boomers working beyond retirement age and Gen Xers who were able to retire early. “I don’t feel like we ever really rebounded fully,” she said.
The Cultural Wellness Center was on the front lines of the COVID pandemic in neighborhoods of color. Atum Azzahir, founder and executive director of the center, said they implemented practices to sustain people under the circumstances. The center uses information from the Minnesota Department of Health to educate its community on symptoms and next steps in language free of medical jargon.
“We have a pattern of reaching people who usually are suspicious of the system, who do not believe that there is a cure or they don’t trust science. So those are many of the people we work with, teach and share,” Azzahir said.
Azzahir said she witnessed firsthand during COVID the deep distrust some communities have in the medical system, including people who refused vaccines, masks and social distancing.
“We definitely operate from a place of suspicion … as Black people, we have had a reason to believe that things might be purposely targeting us. So what we want to do then is reverse that and say, as often as we can in many classes ‘let us assume that that’s true. What do we do together?’” Azzahir said.
Cultural preparedness begins with open communication and self-care, and monitoring family members rather than dismissing or hiding struggles and symptoms, Azzahir said.
The hantavirus and Andes virus come from wild rodents, not the rats or mice commonly seen in cities and homes, Munoz-Zanzi said. Her tips are especially for people opening up cabins or sheds after winter in rural areas.
Avoid sweeping right away, as this kicks contaminated rodent dust into the air where it can be inhaled. Instead, vacuum or apply a bleach solution to wet down the area before cleaning. If visiting an area where wild rodents may live, wear a proper respirator mask that fits tightly over your face. Seal any entry holes around the building and store all food securely to avoid attracting pests.
Because the Andes virus is so rare, Munoz-Zanzi hopes its recent media attention will bring focus to the need for more research and funding.
For more information on the hantavirus, visit www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/hantavirus/index.html.