Officials share next steps for hantavirus outbreak as cases rise
The World Health Organisation has issued a fresh update on the hantavirus cruise ship outbreak.
MV Hondius, which is operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, departed from Ushuaia in Argentina on 1 April carrying 149 people, 88 passengers, and 59 crew members.
Since then, three people have tragically died either on board or after travelling on the ship, after contracting the disease, which is carried by rodents.
While most hantaviruses don't pass from person to person, there have been rare instances of human transmission with the Andes strain - the one identified on the ship.
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In an update today, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of WHO, delivered a news conference to update the world on the ongoing situation.
He confirmed that so far, eight cases have been reported, including three deaths- five of the eight cases have been confirmed as hantavirus, and the other three are suspected.
Ghebreyesus said that it is possible that more cases may be identified given the incubation period of the virus.
As per the BBC, WHO confirmed that the first passengers to get infected had visited places 'where the species of rat known to carry the virus was present' and investigations of the outbreak are 'still under way'.
However, Ghebreyesus reassured that while this is a serious incident, WHO assesses the public health risk to be low, with officials dismissing worries that hantavirus could become a global pandemic threat like Covid-19.
On Wednesday (6 May), it was confirmed that three patients were evacuated from the cruise ship to receive specialist medical care in the Netherlands - a 41-year-old Dutchman, a 65-year-old German, and a 56-year-old Briton.
What are the next steps for the 'hantavirus' cruise ship?
In the press conference, Ghebreyesus confirmed that WHO is working with all of the countries that have passengers on board the MV Hondius on plans for their passage home.
He added that Argentina would be sending 2,500 diagnostic kits to laboratories in five countries.
Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, director of the department of epidemic and pandemic threat management, said: "We are working with all of the countries who have nationalities that are on board to discuss the plans for the safe journey of those patients home, once they disembark, once they’re medically evaluated, what those decisions will be.
“It needs to be very carefully done, but we are working with the countries about that onward passage home.”
She said the WHO is also working with the ship’s operator on plans for the crew.
The expert added: “We also have crew from many different countries, and everyone involved, all of the governments, the ship’s operators, want to make sure that they get home safely, not only minimising their own risk, but any risk to others."
WHO is also working with health authorities in South Africa to trace contacts of the two cases of hantavirus in the country, which includes one Briton who is still in intensive care there.
Kerkhove said: "There have been two confirmed cases in South Africa.
"One was the second case that was identified, the contact the wife of the first case, who sadly passed away. And then there is another case that is currently in ICU in South Africa, and this person is doing better as we understand."
She also confirmed that the two patients in the Netherlands 'are stable'.
The cruise ship is currently on its way to the Canary Islands and is due to arrive on Saturday (9 May), where all passengers will be evacuated and undergo medical checks.
Topics: Cruise Ship, Travel, Health, News, World News, UK News
Madison Burgess