MedanInsight.com – The World Health Organization (WHO) warns of the possibility of human-to-human transmission in the hantavirus outbreak that occurred on the MV Hondius cruise ship, although the risk to the general public is assessed as low.
The cruise ship carrying nearly 150 people remains stranded off the coast of Praia, Cape Verde, after a number of passengers experienced serious respiratory illnesses during the journey across the Atlantic Ocean.
WHO Director for Epidemic Prevention, Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, stated that indications of human-to-human transmission cannot be ruled out due to close contact between cases.
“We know that some cases had very close contact with each other, and of course human-to-human transmission cannot be ruled out,” said Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove.
However, WHO emphasized that this outbreak does not have the potential to become a widespread public health threat.
“The risk to the general public is low. This is not a virus that spreads like flu or like COVID. This is very different,” he added.
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He explained that if human-to-human transmission occurs, it is likely to be limited to very close contacts, such as husband and wife couples.
The MV Hondius operated by Oceanwide Expeditions departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, and during the journey a number of passengers reportedly fell ill with rapidly developing symptoms.
As a result of the outbreak, three Dutch couples and one German citizen died. Meanwhile, one British citizen is still undergoing intensive treatment in South Africa.
Two other passengers showing symptoms of hantavirus are still on board the ship, while the medical evacuation process is underway. ***
