WHO head warns countries to prepare for more hantavirus cases

"The head of the World Health Organization has warned countries to prepare for more hantavirus cases after the outbreak onboard the MV Hondius, and thanked Spain for the compassion and solidarity it had shown by taking in the stricken cruise ship and evacuating its passengers and crew. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries to follow the WHO's advice and recommendations, which include a 42-day quarantine and constant monitoring of high-risk contacts."

"At the moment, there is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak, but of course the situation could change and, given the long incubation period of the virus, it's possible we might see more cases in the coming weeks, he told a press conference in Madrid on Tuesday."

"Tedros, who was speaking alongside Spain's prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, said more cases were likely to appear because of the degree of interaction between the passengers onboard the ship before the alarm was raised and the first case confirmed in a passenger on 2 May. We would expect more cases because, as you may remember, the index case the first case in the ship was on April 6 [and] there was a lot of interaction, actually, with the passengers."

"Although usually spread by wild rodents, hantavirus can be transmitted person-to-person in rare cases of close contact. The WHO has so far confirmed nine cases of the Andes strain of the virus, among them a French woman and an American national who tested positive after being evacuated from the ship."

The World Health Organization warned countries to prepare for more hantavirus cases after an outbreak on the MV Hondius. Spain was thanked for taking in the stricken cruise ship and evacuating passengers and crew. The WHO recommended a 42-day quarantine and constant monitoring of high-risk contacts. No larger outbreak is currently evident, but additional cases may appear in the coming weeks due to the virus’s long incubation period of about six to eight weeks. The outbreak involved three deaths among passengers, and person-to-person transmission can occur in rare cases of close contact. WHO confirmed nine cases of the Andes strain, including individuals who tested positive after evacuation.

Read at www.theguardian.com