CDC Chief Downplays Hantavirus Threat, Says No Need for Alarm

Acting CDC Director Jay Bhattacharya is pushing back on criticism of the federal response to the hantavirus outbreak, telling CBS News the illness is not a "five-alarm fire bell" for the public.

Bhattacharya, who also leads the NIH, acknowledged hantavirus is more deadly if contracted, but emphasized it spreads far less easily than COVID-19 and requires prolonged close contact for human-to-human transmission.

At least three people have died and 10 confirmed or suspected cases have been linked to the outbreak aboard the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius in the Atlantic. Eighteen American passengers returned to the U.S. Monday and are being monitored in Nebraska and Georgia.

The strain involved is the Andes hantavirus, which can spread between people but only through extended, close exposure.

Bhattacharya defended the CDC's communication strategy, saying the goal is to keep the public informed without causing unnecessary panic. He also rejected claims that prior cuts to the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program have hindered the response, asserting the outbreak management team is fully operational.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer blamed the Trump administration for last year's layoffs of cruise ship inspectors, calling the move "incompetence."

Bhattacharya said the U.S. is prepared for potential disease outbreaks during the upcoming World Cup, co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.