The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stated that there are currently no signs of a widespread outbreak of the Andes strain of hantavirus. His comments were reported by BBC News.
“At the moment, we have no indication that we are witnessing the start of a more widespread outbreak,” he said. However, the WHO chief warned that “the situation could change.” “Given the long incubation period of the virus, it is not unlikely that the number of cases will increase in the coming weeks,” Ghebreyesus emphasized.
Hantavirus infection is a zoonotic disease, with rodents serving as carriers. Human infection typically occurs through contact with infected animals or their excreta (saliva, urine, feces).
The Andes strain, found in parts of Latin America, is the only known type of hantavirus capable of human-to-human transmission. However, the likelihood of such transmission is very low. According to WHO, it requires close and prolonged contact, usually occurring within families, between sexual partners, or during patient care.
The hantavirus outbreak began on board the MV Hondius cruise ship traveling from Argentina to Cape Verde. The vessel carried 147 passengers and crew from 23 countries. The first patient fell ill on April 6 and later died on board. His wife also contracted the virus and died after being evacuated to South Africa, where laboratory tests confirmed hantavirus infection.
According to WHO, before boarding the ship, the couple had traveled through Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay on a bird-watching tour. The route passed through areas inhabited by virus-carrying rodents. Another passenger died on May 2. One man remains in intensive care in South Africa, but WHO reports his condition is improving. Other patients were transferred to hospitals in the Netherlands for treatment.
On May 10, the ship arrived in Tenerife, Spain, where most passengers and crew were evacuated and later repatriated. As of May 11, WHO has recorded nine probable cases of hantavirus infection, seven of which have been laboratory-confirmed.
Source: www.gazeta.uz