Contact tracing could be key in halting the spread of hantavirus. Here's how it works

Contact tracing is the public health tool that keeps diseases contained. Health workers reach out to those individuals who were exposed to someone who has a contagious disease to monitor their health and to prevent further spread. lakshmiprasad S/iStockphoto/via hide caption toggle caption lakshmiprasad S/iStockphoto/via An international team of disease detectives is now racing to connect with the more than two dozen passengers who disembarked the MV Honius cruise ship on the Atlantic island of St. Helena before the hantavirus outbreak was identified. These individuals have flown across the world, including to the United States. The risk of further spread of this virus is low since it requires close and prolonged contact with an infected individual — and those infected seem to transmit the virus for only a brief period of time. But public health officials want to make sure the outbreak is contained. Here's how authorities are using the practice of contact tracing to contain the outbreak and keep the hantavirus from spreading. Contact tracing 101 The concept of modern contact tracing dates to the 1930s and was part of an effort to stop the spread of syphilis. It involves locating the close contacts of anyone who may have been infected. …