The World Health Organisation (WHO) has clarified that the hantavirus linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship is not the start of a COVID pandemic.
WHO infectious disease epidemiologist, Maria Van Kerkhove, who spoke during a press briefing on Thursday, revealed that hantavirus spreads differently from COVID-19 and that it poses a low public health risk.
“I want to be unequivocal here. This is not SARS-CoV-2. This is not the start of a COVID pandemic. This is an outbreak that we see on a ship,” she stated.
Speaking further, Van Kerkhove said that the Andes hantavirus spreads mainly through “close, intimate contact,” unlike COVID-19 or influenza, which spread more easily through the air.
“This is not Covid, this is not influenza, it spreads very, very differently,” she added.
On his own part, WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus shared that the five identified cases have been laboratory-confirmed, while three remain suspected.
According to him, previous outbreaks showed that human-to-human transmission only occurred after “prolonged contact”, which seems to be the case this time.
“Hantaviruses are a group of viruses carried by rodents that can cause severe disease in humans. People are usually infected through contact with infected rodents or their urine droppings or saliva.
“The species of hantavirus involved in this case is the Andes virus, which is found in Latin America and is the only species known to be capable of limited transmission between humans.
“In previous outbreaks of Andes virus, transmission between people has been associated with close and prolonged contact, particularly among household members, intimate partners, and people providing medical care.
“That appears to be the case in the current situation,” Tedros said.
