Home / Health / Cruise Ship Hantavirus Outbreak: WHO Races for Answers
Cruise Ship Hantavirus Outbreak: WHO Races for Answers
8 May
Summary
- WHO is creating new guidance for nearly 150 passengers on a cruise ship.
- The outbreak marks the first recorded hantavirus case on a cruise ship.
- Lessons from a 2019 outbreak in Argentina inform current response efforts.
As a cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak nears Tenerife, the World Health Organization is finalizing step-by-step guidance for the nearly 150 passengers due to disembark on Sunday. This is the first recorded instance of hantavirus on a cruise ship, necessitating new protocols. Officials are looking to Argentina, where a 2018-19 Andes virus outbreak was contained, for strategies.
Experts suggest adapting standard public health measures, such as isolating sick individuals and monitoring contacts. Passengers are being categorized by risk, and contact tracing is crucial for those who have already left the vessel. Hantavirus, particularly the Andes strain, spreads through close contact, primarily when a patient is symptomatic, and can have a high fatality rate.
Some governments are preparing for arrivals, with the UK planning to repatriate citizens under strict infection control measures, followed by a 45-day isolation period. Measures are similar to those used for other contagious diseases like measles or Ebola, emphasizing contact tracing and social distancing principles.
