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Hey listeners, it's Lindsay Smith Rogers. Today, haunt a virus, a rodent-borne virus that has killed and sickened people on a polar cruise ship.

Stephanie Desmond talks to Kari DeBink, a Johns Hopkins virologist, about what we need to know about

hauntavirus, what scientists are still learning, and why this won't lead to another COVID-like

pandemic. Let's listen.

Kari DeBank, thanks so much for joining me.

Yeah, thank you so much for having me, Stephanie.

For people who are just hearing about the hauntavirus, can you tell us what it is and why this

outbreak has gotten so much attention?

Yeah, so first of all, hauntavirus is a virus that is typically found in rodents and

spread among rodents.

And then in cases where humans come into contact with

rodents, they may get sick, get the virus from inhaling like aerosolized particles of fecal matter,

urine, saliva. So it's really usually spread via coming into contact with like rodent droppings or

rodents. It's not a very common virus and there are many

different types. And so the reason why it's in the news right now is because there was this outbreak on a

cruise ship. And that is extremely rare for something like hauntavirus because it's typically found in

like more rural areas where mice or whatever the vector rodent is are making nests and kind of live in their

life. That's not usually on a cruise ship. And so that's why this is garnering intention. And the other

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