Johnny-on-the-Spot … by John Foster …

I sometimes believe the national media is attempting to get the 2026 version of COVID-19 to be the hantavirus.

If it wasn’t for the fact that Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa died in 2025 from hantavirus, I doubt we would be so consumed by the story.

On April 1st of this year, the M.V. Hondius left Argentina for a south Atlantic “nature voyage.

The vessel was custom-made for polar exploration.

Nothing out of the ordinary occurred until until a Dutch couple and a German woman died while on-board.

Since then, a few other folks on the cruise became ill, including 2 crew members, but as of this writing, only one has been found to actually have the hantavirus and that person was hospitalized and still living.

Hantavirus hit the headlines last year in the Hackman story and people wondered how well-to do folks like Gene and his wife could be threatened by a condition connected to rat urine, feces and saliva.

The house they lived in was clean but they had several outbuildings on the property where rates were numerous.

While rare, the disease is potentially lethal.

Deer mice, cotton rats and rice rats are common carriers.

BUT, the common house mouse we deal with is not part of that gang.

The problem seems to arise when folks clean areas where these rats have been living and they contact the “nasty stuff” on their hands and inhale the associated aroma.

When someone comes down with the hantavirus, it can produce symptoms such as fatigue, ever, muscle aches, headaches and dizziness.

Those symptoms are very “non-specific” and it makes hantavirus a very “sneaky” conndition.

But those symptoms worsen and you get “very sick” and it can be fatal.

Hantavirus reportedly has a a 50% mortality rate.

Also, there are two types of hantavirus.

The “Old World” strain, here since at least the 1930’s, can cause kidney disorders and hemorrhaging bu ti’s not as deadly.

The “New World” virus c an lead to pulmonary syndrome lung infections.

But they are RARE to be transferred from person-to-person.

The suspected cases connected to the MV Hondius are not likely to be due to on-board rats.

More than likely, someone contacted to infection as a port-of-call and brought it on-board

Medical folks say you can’t catch hantavirus like the flu or measles.

We first saw hantavirus during the Korean War and the virus was first isolated in 1978 (Hantaan virus).

I don’t recall any “M-A-S-H” episodes where “Hawkeye Pierce” or B-J Hunnicutt treated any patients with hantavirus.

But, you know, Corporal Radar O’Reilly liked to have critters around…

I just cleaned the shelf in my backyard building and I swept up a lot of mouse droppings.

While you can’t get the hantavirus from house mice, I still wear gloves and have one of those paper masks on that became the rage during COVID 19.

We still have a few of those white and blue masks in glove boxes and bathroom cabinets at the palatial Foster estate.

The thought occurred to me that we might have a new use for those masks.

Anyone want to diaper rats with them?

Don’t let Dr. Anthony Fauci hear about my idea.

Now, we also put out dried corn on the cob and peanuts for the squirrels and birds it our back yard.

It’s bad enough to think about bird flu and maybe squirrels teaming up with rates.

I may need to design an automatic bird feeder and cob dispenser to stay on the safe side.

In my opinion, if it wasn’t for the unfortunate story about Gene Hackman and his wife passing, we probably wouldn’t be hearing about the MV Hondius and the chance of hantavirus being involved.

There was even a story out of Arkansas where a young man threatened to carry out a mass shooting at his local Walmart if the country went into lockdown over a hantavirus outbreak.

That guy need to take off his tinfoil hat and get some fresh air.

But that’s how some people get their exercise these days.

Jumping to conclusions.

Running their mouths.

Kicking the can down the road.

But just to be safe, I think I’ll avoid any south Atlantic trips on Danish cruise lines.