Hantavirus is a disease typically spread by infected rats. So far, there have been five confirmed and three suspected cases of the Andes hantavirus subtype linked to the cruise ship. It is the only variant known to have spread among humans.
It is transmitted through virus-contaminated aerosols from the droppings, urine or saliva of infected rats. Transmission between humans usually occurs through close, prolonged contact, such as between household members or intimate partners.
WHO does not anticipate a “large epidemic” if lessons from previous outbreaks are followed, including the isolation of confirmed cases and active monitoring of close contacts, Abdi Rahman Mahamud, WHO emergency alert and response director, said. It was up to each country how to implement these measures, he added.
“This is not Covid, this is not influenza, it spreads very differently,” Van Kerkhove added. It can take up to six weeks for symptoms to appear, meaning there could be more cases reported, she added.
Ahead of a health security meeting of Europe’s health ministries and disease agencies on Thursday, a European Commission spokesperson told POLITICO the risk to the general public is low and that “safeguarding public health remains the absolute priority.”
“We are remaining vigilant, closely monitoring the situation, and working in close coordination with all affected Member State authorities, WHO, and [the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control], to ensure a swift and effective response at every stage,” the spokesperson said.
Across Europe, countries are taking steps to isolate passengers returning home from aboard cruise ships. Thirty people disembarked the ship at St Helena, an island in the South Atlantic Ocean, on April 24.