No new cases of the disease have been registered since May 25, and the last passenger has completed quarantine.
MV Hondius liner. Photo: Cruise Mapper
The World Health Organization has announced that the hantavirus outbreak on the cruise liner has ended. According to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the last passenger of the MV Hondius vessel completed their quarantine period, tested negative for hantavirus, and returned home, writes the BBC.
No new cases of the disease have been registered since May 25. "The WHO considers the hantavirus outbreak concluded," added the head of the organization.
The outbreak, which infected 13 people and caused three deaths, was caused by the "Andes" virus — a rare strain of hantavirus.
Recall that the cruise ship MV Hondius departed from Argentina on April 1. On April 11, while the ship was in the ocean between Argentina and the Republic of South Africa, the first patient died. On April 26, another passenger died in Johannesburg (RSA). On May 2, again aboard the ship, the third passenger died.
On May 10, the ship was docked near the port of Tenerife. Passengers who had not been previously evacuated for medical reasons disembarked and were soon sent by plane to their countries of citizenship.
Earlier, the WHO reported that the first two carriers of the virus had traveled through Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay before boarding the vessel. Their trip, as the WHO noted, took place "as part of a birdwatching tour that included visiting habitats of rat species known to be virus carriers."
Health specialists believe that in this case, the virus may have been transmitted between people who were in close contact.
On Thursday, the WHO reported that 33 countries and territories had placed more than 650 contacts under surveillance. The organization stated that it would continue to collaborate with governments and partner organizations to better understand how both this outbreak and hantavirus in general have evolved.
Dr. Diana Rojas Alvarez from the WHO, speaking at a briefing, said: "The Andes virus and other hantaviruses continue to pose a public health threat in South America and some other regions where they are endemic." Endemic viruses are constantly present in the environment.
"We need to continue monitoring this virus and prepare for its possible further spread," noted the WHO representative.
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