Geneva, May 9 (SANA) The World Health Organization said Friday that six cases of hantavirus have been laboratory confirmed following an outbreak aboard a cruise ship, with three deaths reported among eight suspected infections.
In a statement, the UN health agency said all confirmed cases were identified as the rare Andes strain of hantavirus (ANDV), which can spread between people.
“As of May 8, a total of eight cases have been reported, including three deaths,” the WHO said, placing the fatality rate at 38%.
The organization assessed the global public health risk as “low” but said the risk to passengers and crew aboard the vessel remained “moderate.”
WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said the virus poses limited danger to the broader public despite its severity for infected individuals.
“It is a serious virus, but only for the person infected,” Lindmeier said, adding that transmission had not occurred in some cases even between passengers in neighboring cabins. “It is nothing like measles.”
The cruise ship, the MV Hondius, departed Praia Bay in Cape Verde on Wednesday and is heading to Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands, where it is expected to arrive Sunday.
About 150 passengers and crew members remain aboard and are expected to disembark early next week.
The vessel has been under an international health alert since late last week after the WHO was notified of the deaths of three passengers suspected of contracting hantavirus.
Hantaviruses are typically transmitted through contact with infected rodents, including exposure to urine, saliva, or droppings. Health experts said the Andes strain detected on the ship is unusual because it is capable of human-to-human transmission.
R A H /ABD
