(Reuters) – On Thursday, nations across the globe took measures to limit the further dissemination of hantavirus following an outbreak on a cruise ship. This involved tracing individuals who disembarked prior to the identification of the virus and those who had close contact with them thereafter.
The outbreak on the MV Hondius resulted in the deaths of three individuals: a couple from the Netherlands and a German citizen. The World Health Organization confirmed that five people have tested positive for the virus, with an additional three cases under suspicion. Hantavirus is typically transmitted via rodents, though human-to-human transmission is a rare occurrence.
All passengers who left the ship at St. Helena in the South Atlantic, where it docked on April 24, have been contacted. The cruise operator noted that this includes individuals from at least 12 different nations, such as seven from the UK and six from the United States. The initial confirmed case of hantavirus in this outbreak occurred in early May.
‘THIS IS NOT COVID’
The WHO reiterated that the risk to the broader public remains “low,” despite the presence of the Andean strain of the virus in some victims, which can be transmitted between humans but infrequently. “This is not coronavirus; it is a distinctly different virus,” stated Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s director of epidemic and pandemic management, during a press conference. “We are not facing the same circumstances we encountered six years ago.”
The WHO is developing detailed guidance for the various passengers still aboard the ship, which is expected to reach the Canary Islands on Saturday or Sunday. Passengers will disembark there and make their way home, and none currently exhibit symptoms.
CONTACT TRACING, MONITORING
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States mentioned that they are vigilantly observing the situation, noting that the risk to the American populace is presently very low.
The Georgia Department of Public Health reported it is keeping an eye on two asymptomatic residents who returned home after their cruise. Meanwhile, the Arizona Department of Health Services said it is monitoring one resident from the same ship, who is also asymptomatic. According to the New York Times, California is overseeing several residents who were aboard the cruise.