The last passengers from the hantavirus-stricken MV Hondius cruise ship have been flown to the Netherlands, but new cases are emerging as researchers race to trace the outbreak's origin.

Authorities are arranging quarantines and healthcare access for passengers, but some communities have reacted with anger and protests over perceived exposure risks, fueled by memories of the COVID-19 pandemic.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed that hantavirus is not another COVID-19, noting the current public health risk remains low. Hantavirus is primarily transmitted through rodents, with rare human-to-human spread.

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) has a fatality rate of about 40%, with an incubation period of one to eight weeks. The Andes strain detected on the MV Hondius has shown limited person-to-person transmission.

Experts say hantaviruses are unlikely to cause a pandemic due to low transmissibility. Quarantine and monitoring for up to six weeks are recommended for exposed individuals.

Source: www.aljazeera.com