Authorities said they are taking the hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship that is transporting people from all over the world very seriously. The ship sailed from Argentina a month ago, and three passengers have perished either on board or after traveling. For medical attention, four more people have been taken off the ship.
A massive effort is underway to track down individuals who may have been exposed to the virus and who have already returned home via flights to the UK, South Africa, the Netherlands, the US, and Switzerland, among other nations.
Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove of the World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized in an update on Thursday that it was not the beginning of a pandemic, stating: “This is not Covid, this is not influenza, it spreads very, very differently.”
The Andes form of hantavirus that is causing the outbreak is not as dangerous as diseases like measles, which spread quickly. The WHO states that although human-to-human transmission is feasible, the danger of infections worldwide is still minimal. According to its most recent report, eight cases—three confirmed and five suspected—have been found among those who were on the ship.
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