Experts race to write guidance to contain first ship-borne hantavirus outbreak
The first recorded hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship has killed three people and infected eight others, prompting the WHO to develop emergency containment protocols as the vessel approaches Tenerife. Experts are drawing on Argentina’s 2019 Andes hantavirus response while advising isolation, contact tracing, and monitoring passengers for up to 42 days due to the virus’s long incubation period.
A cruise ship carrying nearly 150 passengers is en route to Tenerife, Spain, after an outbreak of Andes hantavirus killed three people and infected at least eight others onboard. The World Health Organization (WHO) is urgently drafting step-by-step guidance for managing the first-ever ship-borne hantavirus case, as no passengers currently show symptoms. The outbreak has prompted WHO officials to adapt standard public health measures, including isolating sick passengers and quarantining high-risk contacts. WHO’s Abdi Rahman Mahamud emphasized that basic precautions—such as social distancing and monitoring—could prevent further spread, citing Argentina’s successful containment of a similar 2019 outbreak. Passengers will be categorized into high-risk and low-risk groups based on exposure to infected individuals. WHO recommends daily temperature checks for up to 42 days, given the Andes strain’s long incubation period, and direct contact tracing for those who disembarked before the outbreak was detected. Experts, including Gustavo Palacios of Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, advised WHO on the response, stressing that simple measures like staying home when ill could halt transmission. The UK government has already announced plans to repatriate its citizens from the ship, while national authorities are preparing for potential cases upon arrival in Tenerife. The Andes hantavirus spreads through close contact, primarily when patients are symptomatic, with fatality rates reaching up to 50%. WHO’s Anais Legand noted that ongoing communication with exposed individuals is critical to preventing wider outbreaks.
This content was automatically generated and/or translated by AI. It may contain inaccuracies. Please refer to the original sources for verification.