Hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship does not signal start of pandemic - World Health Organization
The outbreak of Hantavirus on a cruise ship does not signal start of pandemic, the World Health Organization said.
Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, director of the World Health Organization's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the virus is different from COVID-19 because Hantavirus is spread only through "close, intimate contact."
The ship was initially carrying about 150 passengers and crew from 28 countries. The cruise ship is currently being searched and monitored for passengers. It is a rare disease that is usually caused by contact with the urine, feces or saliva of infected rodents, but this particular outbreak is the first time that possible human-to-human transmission has been reported.
The World Health Organization says a total of five cases of Hantavirus have been confirmed. Three people – a Dutch couple and a German citizen – have died.
The World Health Organization and local health authorities say the situation is under control and there are no signs of a pandemic, but monitoring is ongoing.