CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A South Texas infectious disease expert is addressing public concerns about hantavirus, saying the virus is not new and poses little to no risk for people in the region.
Dr. Jaime Fergie, director of infectious diseases at Driscoll Children's Hospital and medical director for the Global Institute for Hispanic Health — a partnership between Driscoll Children's Hospital and Texas A&M University — said one of the biggest misconceptions is that hantavirus is a newly emerging threat.
"One of the misconception is the idea that this is new and it's not new. This hantaviruses have existed for a very long time, decades and decades we know about this virus," Fergie said.
Fergie said the strain of hantavirus most commonly found in the United States is concentrated in the Southwest — primarily Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah — and is extremely rare in Texas.
"In the past 5 years there have been one case in the whole state of Texas. It's extremely uncommon and it's not an issue for us here in South Texas," Fergie said.
Unlike COVID-19, Fergie explained, the strain of hantavirus found in the United States is not transmitted person to person. It spreads through contact with the urine or excrement of infected rodents.
"That's a virus is not transmitted person to person. Is transmitted from the excrements of the rodents of the urine but not person to person," Fergie said.
The strain generating recent headlines is the Andes virus, linked to an outbreak aboard a cruise ship in Argentina. Fergie said that particular strain can spread person to person, but only through prolonged contact in confined settings — like the cruise ship where the cases originated.
"The one that everybody's talking about is the one associated with that cruise ship in Argentina and in that type of virus called the Andes virus or the junta virus category can be transmitted person to person but requires prolonged contact," Fergie said.
Fergie said authorities in the United States and around the world have been tracking everyone who was aboard that ship, and no new infections have been reported outside of that group. He said approximately 12 to 13 people were infected, and 3 have died.
"The chances of this causing any disruption for us here are absolutely minimal, if not non-existent," Fergie said.
With summer travel season approaching, Fergie urged families to make sure their vaccinations are up to date before heading out.
"Be sure that your children are fully vaccinated, that you are as an adult also you have received the vaccines because you can be in contact with a lot of people and you can prevent many illnesses," Fergie said.
He expressed concern about a growing trend of people skipping vaccinations, calling it a "horrible tragedy." He also recommended standard hygiene practices — avoiding contact with sick individuals, staying home when ill, and frequent handwashing or use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
Fergie said the public should not let health concerns stop them from enjoying summer plans, including trips to national parks or cruises.
"Go out, enjoy your summer vacation," Fergie said. "If you go to national parks it's wonderful and even if you like going to cruise you know they're great."
He noted that norovirus is occasionally seen on cruise ships but is manageable with proper hygiene measures.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
A South Texas infectious disease expert is addressing public concerns about hantavirus, saying the virus is not new and poses little to no risk for people in the region.
Dr. Jaime Fergie, director of infectious diseases at Driscoll Children's Hospital and medical director for the Global Institute for Hispanic Health — a partnership between Driscoll Children's Hospital and Texas A&M University — said one of the biggest misconceptions is that hantavirus is a newly emerging threat.
"One of the misconception is the idea that this is new and it's not new. This hantaviruses have existed for a very long time, decades and decades we know about this virus," Fergie said.
Fergie said the strain of hantavirus most commonly found in the United States is concentrated in the Southwest — primarily Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah — and is extremely rare in Texas.
"In the past 5 years there have been one case in the whole state of Texas. It's extremely uncommon and it's not an issue for us here in South Texas," Fergie said.
Unlike COVID-19, Fergie explained, the strain of hantavirus found in the United States is not transmitted person to person. It spreads through contact with the urine or excrement of infected rodents.
"That's a virus is not transmitted person to person. Is transmitted from the excrements of the rodents of the urine but not person to person," Fergie said.
The strain generating recent headlines is the Andes virus, linked to an outbreak aboard a cruise ship in Argentina. Fergie said that particular strain can spread person to person, but only through prolonged contact in confined settings — like the cruise ship where the cases originated.
"The one that everybody's talking about is the one associated with that cruise ship in Argentina and in that type of virus called the Andes virus or the junta virus category can be transmitted person to person but requires prolonged contact," Fergie said.
Fergie said authorities in the United States and around the world have been tracking everyone who was aboard that ship, and no new infections have been reported outside of that group. He said approximately 12 to 13 people were infected, and 3 have died.
"The chances of this causing any disruption for us here are absolutely minimal, if not non-existent," Fergie said.
With summer travel season approaching, Fergie urged families to make sure their vaccinations are up to date before heading out.
"Be sure that your children are fully vaccinated, that you are as an adult also you have received the vaccines because you can be in contact with a lot of people and you can prevent many illnesses," Fergie said.
He expressed concern about a growing trend of people skipping vaccinations, calling it a "horrible tragedy." He also recommended standard hygiene practices — avoiding contact with sick individuals, staying home when ill, and frequent handwashing or use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
Fergie said the public should not let health concerns stop them from enjoying summer plans, including trips to national parks or cruises.
"Go out, enjoy your summer vacation," Fergie said. "If you go to national parks it's wonderful and even if you like going to cruise you know they're great."
He noted that norovirus is occasionally seen on cruise ships but is manageable with proper hygiene measures.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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