Two Singapore residents who were aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship are currently being tested at NCID for the rare Andes strain of hantavirus, following its link to an overseas outbreak that has already caused fatalities.

Although health authorities continue to assess the global risk as low, concern has been raised because this particular strain has, in rare instances, shown the potential for human-to-human transmission, prompting a rapid public health response in Singapore.

So what is hantavirus, how is it spread, and should we be worried?

On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong and Professor Paul Tambyah, Former president of the Asia-Pacific Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infection, unpack what is known so far, why this virus is drawing attention, and what the latest developments mean for Singapore.