Should you be worried about hantavirus? Your questions, answered.

Headlines about the hantavirus outbreak are raising questions about the potentially deadly illness.

Five people have been confirmed to have the typically rodent-borne virus, and three others are suspected, according to the World Health Organization. Three people have died. Residents of multiple countries, including the United States, are now being monitored for the virus after either disembarking or coming into contact with people who traveled on the cruise ship tied to multiple cases of the virus.

A major question is whether people should be worried, and if the outbreak has pandemic potential.

In a May 7 media briefing, the World Health Organization maintained that "while this is a serious incident, WHO assesses the public health risk as low."

“This is not the start of an epidemic. This is not the start of a pandemic,” Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, director of the WHO’s Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Management added in the briefing.

"At this time, Americans should be aware of hantavirus, but not alarmed,” infectious disease expert Dr. Sukrut Dwivedi of Hackensack Meridian Ocean University Medical Center told USA TODAY.

Here's what else to know about the infection.

'Not the same situation' as COVID, experts say

In the latest WHO briefing, Van Kerkhove explained hantavirus is very different from coronavirus and does not spread the same way.

"I want to be unequivocal here: this is not SARS-CoV-2. This is not the start of a COVID pandemic," she said. "This is an outbreak that we see on a ship (and) there's a confined area... But this is not the same situation we were in six years ago."

In a contained setting like a cruise ship, close quarters can amplify risk, Dwivedi added in a statement.

"Health authorities are appropriately emphasizing contact tracing, isolation and monitoring of close contacts," he said. "The overall risk to the general public remains low, as hantaviruses do not spread easily like respiratory viruses such as flu or COVID-19."

What causes hantavirus?

Hantaviruses are a group of viruses that naturally infect rodents, sometimes long‑term without apparent illness, and are occasionally transmitted to humans, according to the World Health Organization.

"Although many hantavirus species have been identified worldwide, only a limited number are known to cause human disease," the WHO adds.

How do you get hantavirus?

Hantavirus is primarily spread by rodents through exposure to their urine, droppings or saliva and less commonly through a scratch or bite, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"While rare, hantavirus may spread between people and can lead to severe respiratory illness and requires careful patient monitoring, support and response," the WHO notes.

On May 6, the WHO said the strain of hantavirus in the latest outbreak has been confirmed through laboratory testing as Andes virus, a strain found in South America that is believed to spread person-to-person.

Does hantavirus exist in the United States?

While hantavirus cases have been previously reported in the U.S. − especially the four corners region of Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico − this strain doesn't cause human-to-human transmission, according to infectious disease expert and Texas Christian University professor Dr. Nikhil Bhayani.

"Americans should be aware of this strain of virus which is found in South America," Bhayani told USA TODAY, referring to the Andes strain identified in the latest outbreak.

But again, this not yet cause for panic. Since this transmission generally requires close, prolonged contact, doctors at Hackensack Meridian Health say the general public can rest assured that large scale spread is unlikely.

Is there a vaccine for hantavirus?

There is no specific treatment that cures hantavirus diseases, according to the WHO, but early supportive medical care is "key to improve survival." This care includes clinical monitoring and managing any respiratory, cardiac or other complications, the organization says.

What is the hantavirus mortality rate?

The death rate from hantavirus depends on the specific disease it causes. For example, it can cause hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome, "a severe respiratory illness, with a case fatality rate up to 50%," according to the WHO.

For hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, which is more common with infections in Europe and Asia, death rates range from less than 1% to 15%, depending on the viral strain's severity, the organization adds.

Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund and Eve Chen, USA TODAY; Reuters