The World Health Organisation (WHO) says it does not expect a major epidemic from the hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship currently heading for Spain’s Canary Islands, despite the number of infections rising to eight, including three deaths. WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, disclosed on Thursday that five……
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says it does not expect a major epidemic from the hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship currently heading for Spain’s Canary Islands, despite the number of infections rising to eight, including three deaths.
WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, disclosed on Thursday that five of the reported cases aboard the MV Hondius have been confirmed as hantavirus, while three others remain suspected.
“So far, eight cases have been reported, including three deaths,” he said during a press briefing.
“Five of the eight cases have been confirmed as hantavirus, and the other three are suspected.”
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The ship, carrying nearly 150 people, is expected to dock at Tenerife in the Canary Islands within the next three days as health authorities continue to monitor the situation closely.
Although WHO warned that additional infections could still emerge because the Andes virus can incubate for up to six weeks, the organisation maintained that the overall public health threat remains low.
“Given the incubation period of the Andes Virus, which can be up to six weeks, it’s possible that more cases may be reported,” Dr Tedros said.
“While this is a serious incident, WHO assesses the public health risk as low.”
Health officials disclosed that two doctors, alongside infectious disease specialists from the WHO and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, are currently onboard carrying out medical assessments on passengers and crew members.
Authorities said no fresh symptoms had been detected among those still aboard the vessel.
“The ship is now sailing for the Canary Islands, and we are confident in the capacity of Spain to manage this risk, and we are supporting them to do so,” Dr Tedros stated.
“We assess the risk to the people of the Canary Islands as low.”
The outbreak attracted global attention after 29 passengers disembarked at the South Atlantic island of St Helena, including a Dutch woman who later died during onward travel while accompanying her husband’s body for repatriation.
Her husband had reportedly died aboard the ship on April 11.
Tour operator Oceanwide Expeditions said the couple boarded the vessel in Argentina after participating in a birdwatching tour in areas known for rat populations infected with the virus.
WHO officials stressed that the pattern of transmission observed so far remains consistent with previous hantavirus outbreaks and bears no resemblance to the early spread of Covid-19.
Dr Abdirahman Mahamud of WHO’s Emergencies Health Programme referenced a similar outbreak recorded in Argentina between 2018 and 2019 that resulted in 34 cases.
“If we follow public health measures, and the lessons we learned from Argentina are shared across all countries … we can break this chain of transmission and this doesn’t need to be a large epidemic,” he said.
“We don’t anticipate a large epidemic. With the experience our member states have, and the actions they have taken, we believe that this will not lead to a subsequent chain of transmission.”
Dr Tedros also revealed that morale among passengers and crew had improved significantly since the ship resumed its journey after leaving Cape Verde.
“I would also like to thank the ship’s operator for its co-operation, and the passengers and crew who are going through a very difficult and frightening situation,” he said.
“I’ve been in touch with the ship’s captain regularly, including this morning. He told me morale has improved significantly since the ship started moving again.”
