Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has made known, eight (8) cases of hantavirus has been reported, and included three (3) deaths, so far.
Via X, the WHO DG described it as a “serious incident”, however, said, the Organization still rates hantavirus risk to public health “low”.
According to WHO, hantavirus is a zoonotic virus that can transmit to humans from urine, droppings of infected rodents.
WHO, the United Nations (UN) Health Agency, said, an outbreak of hantavirus on a cruise ship is not the start of a pandemic.
Hantavirus outbreak was not the same situation as Covid-19, six (6) years ago, because hantavirus spreads through “close, intimate contact”, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the World Health Organization (WHO), Maria van Kerkhove, said at a news briefing.
Health workers are working to identify dozens of people who have disembarked recently from the Dutch vessel MV Hondius.
Ghebreyesus said: “So far, eight cases of #hantavirus have been reported, including three deaths.
“While this is a serious incident, @WHO assesses the public health risk as low.
“WHO will continue to work with all relevant governments and partners to provide care for those who are affected, protect the safety and dignity of passengers, and prevent onward spread of the virus.”
A 69-year old woman, who had the virus, was among the three (3) confirmed dead, as revealed by the WHO. It further revealed, the woman’s Dutch husband and a German woman have also died, and their cases are being looked into.
About 150 passengers and crew from twenty-eight (28) countries are reported to have been aboard the ship initially, but dozens alighted on the island of St Helena on April 24.
