A local infectious disease expert is urging calm as hantavirus draws national attention, saying Chicago residents have little reason for alarm.
Dr. Michael Lin, an infectious disease specialist at Rush University Medical Center, said hantavirus does not present the same threat to Chicago that COVID-19 did, pointing to the city's urban makeup as a key factor working in residents' favor.
A variant known as Andes, which can spread person to person, is being closely monitored in connection with a cruise ship outbreak. But Lin said Chicago's dense infrastructure and limited rodent-to-human contact reduce the city's exposure risk considerably.
Hantavirus is primarily transmitted through contact with infected rodents or their droppings, a dynamic far more common in rural and semi-rural settings than in major urban centers. The Andes variant, first identified in South America, remains rare in the United States.
Lin's message to Chicagoans: stay informed, but widespread concern is not warranted at this time.
An infectious disease specialist at Rush University Medical Center says the city's urban environment significantly reduces exposure risk.
An infectious disease specialist at Rush University Medical Center says the city's urban environment significantly reduces exposure risk.
