How Ebola Compares to Hantavirus as 'Small Number' of Americans Impacted in DRC
Summary
A small number of Americans are being taken out of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda after exposure to an Ebola outbreak. This follows a recent hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship, which left dozens of Americans monitored for possible infection.Key Facts
- The Ebola outbreak has caused 10 confirmed cases and 336 suspected cases in the DRC, with 88 deaths, plus two confirmed cases and one death in Uganda.
- The CDC says the risk to the general American public is low but is helping those directly affected.
- Ebola death rates range from 25% to 50%, while hantavirus has about a 50% fatality rate.
- Ebola is more contagious and has had larger outbreaks, often in areas with challenges in controlling transmission.
- Hantavirus spreads mainly through contact with infected rodents or their waste; human-to-human spread is rare.
- Ebola spreads through direct contact with infected animals’ body fluids or through contact with infected people’s fluids or contaminated surfaces.
- Symptoms of hantavirus appear after 1 to 8 weeks, including fever and muscle aches; Ebola symptoms appear sooner, within 2 to 21 days, and include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and organ issues.
- Recently, 41 Americans were monitored for hantavirus after exposure during an Antarctic cruise.
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