WHO Warns of Potential Hantavirus Spread from Cruise Ship

Kathmandu. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the Hantavirus outbreak related to the cruise ship 'MV Hondius' could spread further, although it is expected that this outbreak can be controlled at a limited level if strict health precautions are taken in time.

So far, three people have died due to this outbreak, and there have been five confirmed and three suspected cases of infection. Infected and suspected patients have been treated or isolated in the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and South Africa.

This infection is linked to the cruise ship named MV Hondius, which had started its journey from Ushuaia, Argentina, and was traveling towards the Canary Islands. During the journey, when some passengers suddenly started showing severe symptoms, health officials began investigating the infection spread on the ship.

According to preliminary investigations, it is estimated that one passenger may have been infected before boarding the ship in Argentina, and later the infection spread to other passengers on the ship.

According to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the incubation period of Hantavirus can be up to 6 weeks, so there is a possibility of more infection cases appearing in the coming days or weeks. He said that the development of this disease is being closely monitored and international coordination is necessary.

Abdi Rahman Mahmud, WHO's Director of Emergency Response, said that if all countries effectively implement public health measures such as timely testing, identification of infected individuals, contact tracing, and isolation, this outbreak can be controlled without spreading on a large scale. According to him, the current situation is of a 'limited but cautious' nature.

Meanwhile, Argentinian health officials are preparing to test rodents in the Ushuaia region to find the source of the infection, as Hantavirus is usually spread through contact with infected rodents. Detailed contact tracing of all passengers and crew who traveled on the ship is also underway.

According to the ship operating company Oceanwide Expeditions, there are currently no passengers showing any symptoms on the ship, and the ship is proceeding towards its destination Tenerife, Spain, where it is scheduled to arrive on Sunday. After the passengers were sent to various countries, local health authorities are monitoring their health.

WHO has stated that international cooperation, timely testing, and strict isolation measures are extremely necessary to keep this outbreak under control, otherwise there is a risk that the infection may spread to more countries.