CDC messaging on hantavirus transmission may contradict science, Harvard professor says

As the passengers from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship make their way home, one public health expert is raising concerns about what he sees as contradictory messaging from officials over how the virus is transmitted. While Joseph G. Allen, professor of exposure assessment science at Harvard University, told MS NOW that the current threat to the general population is low, he believes the public "deserves to know what the science is about how this is transmitted."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website, "spread is usually limited to people who have close contact with a sick person. This includes direct physical contact, prolonged time spent in close or enclosed spaces, and exposure to the sick person's body fluids."...