Trump says hantavirus 'not easily transferable, unlike COVID'

US President Donald Trump said Friday that the hantavirus is "not easily transferable, unlike COVID," seeking to reassure the public as health authorities in multiple countries race to contain an outbreak linked to a cruise ship.

"We seem to have things under very good control. They know the virus very well. It's been around a long time, not easily transferable, unlike COVID, but we'll see," Trump told reporters while leaving the White House.

The president said US authorities have been briefed and are closely monitoring the situation.

"We have very good people studying it very closely," he said. "We hope that's true."

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classified the hantavirus outbreak as a “Level 3” emergency response, the lowest level of emergency activation, according to ABC News on Thursday.

The outbreak, involving the Andes strain of hantavirus, has so far resulted in five confirmed cases, including three deaths, among passengers connected to a voyage, according to World Health Organization officials.

The MV Hondius, carrying approximately 150 passengers and crew from 23 nationalities, departed from Argentina and crossed the Atlantic before reporting a cluster of respiratory illnesses while sailing off Cape Verde.