Photo: depositphotos
Both new patients are linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius.
Yesterday, two new suspected cases of hantavirus infection were reported, according to Reuters. Both are connected to the cruise ship MV Hondius, where the main outbreak occurred. One case involves a man who disembarked from the vessel, while the other concerns a woman who had been seated next to another cruise passenger on a flight — that passenger later died.
“The cases reported by health officials are thousands of kilometers apart,” Reuters noted. “One is in Spain, while the other is on the remote South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha.”
The new infections have raised concerns among medical experts about how quickly the virus could spread, although the World Health Organization continues to insist the situation remains under control.
“Considering the dynamics of this outbreak, how it is spreading — and not spreading — among people on the ship and among those who have disembarked, we still assess the overall public risk as low,” said WHO technical officer for viral threats Anais Legand.
Earlier this month, a hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius resulted in three deaths. The ship was temporarily blocked near Cape Verde, where three critically ill passengers were evacuated before authorities allowed the vessel to continue to Tenerife, Spain.
Hantavirus is a disease transmitted to humans from animals, primarily rodents. It can cause either hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome or hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. The virus is not typically transmitted from person to person, but infection can occur through inhaling dust or particles contaminated with rodent waste carrying the virus. Symptoms that distinguish it from many other infectious diseases include bleeding, kidney failure, and impaired urination.
