The hantavirus outbreak is expected to end on July 2 – WHO
On June 25, the World Health Organization reported that the deadly hantavirus outbreak recorded last month is expected to end on July 2, according to current estimates.
It is noted that there have been 12 confirmed and one probable case of hantavirus infection linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius, including three fatalities.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced at a press conference at WHO headquarters in Geneva that more than 650 close contacts have been identified in 33 countries and territories.
“All contacts, except for 54, have completed their quarantine period, and the rest are expected to complete it by July 2. If no new cases are reported by then, WHO will consider the outbreak over,” he said.
Scientists are studying virus samples to determine whether treatments and vaccines can be developed for possible future outbreaks, France24 reports.
Read also:
WHO Director-General noted that hantavirus is not the same as COVID
Hantavirus outbreak: Experts assess the risks of a global pandemic.
We also reported: Among the crew members of the MV Hondius, where a hantavirus outbreak was detected, are five Ukrainian citizens. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that so far, no signs of a deterioration in their health have been detected.
The disease on board the MV Hondius, owned by the Dutch company Oceanwide Expeditions—which has claimed the lives of three passengers—may have been introduced by Argentine rats or mice.
