Is news of a hantavirus cruise ship outbreak giving you COVID-19 flashbacks? You aren’t alone. It’s hard not to think back to early 2020, when a few cases around the world quickly snowballed into a global pandemic. But infectious disease experts say the hantavirus outbreak first confirmed on the MV Hondius cruise ship in May is much different than what the world experienced with coronavirus. Although hantavirus’ mortality rate is quite high — close to  40%  for some strains —  there is not evidence it easily spreads or mutates, making it more likely that the public health response can keep pace to reduce further spread. Here are some facts that may quiet your concerns. Hantavirus is largely spread among rodents, not humans. Hantavirus  typically spreads among rodents like rats and mice. Certain strains can infect humans who inhale aerosolized rodent feces and urine particles. But not all mice carry the virus. The common house mouse, for example, does not.…