A deadly outbreak of the rare rodent-borne disease hantavirus aboard a cruise ship this April has claimed three lives and infected several others, prompting health officials across four continents to trace and monitor passengers who left the ship before the outbreak was identified.
Hantavirus can cause a severe and often deadly respiratory illness known as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. But how serious is hantavirus, how is it transmitted, and how easily can it spread? Click through this gallery for an explanation.