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Outbreak Statistics
Breakdown of the MV Hondius health incident
Primary Sources
GENEVA / WHO HANTAVIRUS UPDATE | UNifeed - UN Media
Hantavirus victims on a ship in the Atlantic Ocean may have been infected prior to joining the cruise and human-to-human transmission on board cannot be ruled out – although it is rare - the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday. The deadly disease outbreak has triggered an international public health response. Seven individuals of the 147 passengers and crew have been reported ill and three have died in what remains a fluid situation, WHO’s chief of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention Dr Maria Van Kerkhove told reporters in Geneva. “One patient is in intensive care in South Africa, although we understand that this patient is improving,” she said, while two patients still on board the ship, which is currently off the coast of Cabo Verde, are being prepared for medical evacuation to the Netherlands for treatment. Dr Van Kerkhove stressed that the situation is being closely monitored. As a precaution, passengers have been asked to remain in their cabins while disinfection and other public health measures are carried out. Medical teams from Cabo Verde are providing support on board the ship. “The plan is, and our highest priority is, to medically evacuate these two individuals” to make sure that they receive the required care, she insisted. There are no other symptomatic patients on board. A third suspected case who reported a mild fever at one point “is currently doing well”, the WHO official said. The ship is set to continue on to the Canary Islands. Ahead of arrival, Dr Van Kerkhove said that WHO is working with the Spanish authorities who “have said that they will welcome the ship to do a full epidemiologic investigation, full disinfection of the ship, and of course to assess the risk of the passengers… on board”. Hantaviruses are carried by rodents and can cause severe disease in humans. Thousands of infections are estimated to occur each year. People usually get infected through contact with infected rodents or their urine, their droppings, or their saliva. Discussing the suspected origins of the outbreak, Dr Van Kerkhove said that the initial patients, a husband and wife, boarded the boat in Argentina. “With the timing of the incubation period of hantavirus, which can be anywhere from one to six weeks, our assumption is that they were infected off the ship,” she said. “This was an expedition boat… many of the people on board were doing bird watching” and “seeing a lot of different wildlife.” The cruise stopped at several islands...
Hantavirus Scare: Swiss Authorities Confirm First Positive Case
Hantavirus alert rises globally as WHO tracks cruise-linked outbreak amid growing health concerns worldwide. Photo Source: NDTV Profit/AI generated image The Swiss government has confirmed that an MV Hondius passenger who returned to Switzerland has been infected with hantavirus and is being treated in Zurich, fuelling fear of yet another COVID scenario.According to Swiss officials, the general public is not in danger. The Andes strain, the only one known to propagate among humans, has been identified as the cause of this specific outbreak.The ship departed Argentina on April 1 with 147 people on board; three are dead, and one is still in critical condition.ALSO READ | What Is Hantavirus? WHO Flags Concern On Cruise Ship-Linked Disease, Issues Advisory On Global RiskAfter responding to an email from the ship's operator alerting the passengers of the health incident, he went to a hospital in Zurich, Switzerland, where he is currently being treated.WHO is collaborating with pertinent nations to facilitate international contact tracing in accordance with the International Health Regulations (IHR) in order to monitor possibly exposed individuals and prevent further disease spread. They posted on the same on their official X handle.The National Institute for Communicable Diseases in South Africa, NICD and Geneva University Hospitals in Switzerland have confirmed that the virus causing this outbreak is Andes hantavirus.The assistance of the Administration Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud and the Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Senegal, Argentina's response to this incident has also been crucial. Three of the eight cases as of May 6 have been laboratory-confirmed to be caused by hantavirus.WHO says it will keep collaborating with nations to make sure that patients, contacts, travellers, and crew have the knowledge and assistance they require to stay safe and stop the spread.ALSO READ | Hantavirus Outbreak: How It Spreads, Who Is At Risk, Symptoms, Precautions — All You Need To KnowWhat Is HantavirusHantaviruses, a class of viruses, are capable of causing fatalities and severe diseases. Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome are two illnesses brought on by these viruses. A class of rodent-borne viruses known as hantaviruses can cause uncommon but serious renal and respiratory illnesses in people.They are categorised as zoonotic viruses because they spread from animals to humans, mainly wild mice and rats. According to the...
EU agency probes rare cruise-linked hantavirus outbreak
15 hours ago ... The ECDC noted it is in contact with national public health authorities and the World Health Organization and will provide updates as more information becomes ...
World Health Organization Hantavirus Follow @WHO for ... - Instagram
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION REPORTS THREE DEATHS, LAUNCHES EMERGENCY RESPONSE OVER HANTAVIRUS SCARE.
