Hantavirus outbreak: WHO warns of more cases, does not anticipate large epidemic

The World Health Organization on Thursday said that more cases of hantavirus infections could emerge after the disease killed three passengers of a cruise ship.

However, the global health authority said that it would be “a limited outbreak” if public health measures are implemented by countries.

The deaths on board the cruise ship MV Hondius in the Atlantic Ocean have sparked global health concerns.

What is hantavirus?

Hantavirus is a zoonotic disease, meaning it is communicable from animals to humans. It is carried by rodents that can cause a range of severe illnesses among humans, and possibly death. People usually get infected by Hantavirus through contact with infected rodents or their droppings or saliva.

There are no vaccines and no specific treatment that cures hantavirus diseases, according to the World Health Organization. But early supportive medical care, such as close clinical monitoring and management of respiratory, cardiac and kidney complications, can help improve the chances of survival, according to the global health body.

Prevention depends largely on reducing contact with infected persons and rodents. Andes hantavirus found in South America is a known virus for which limited human‑to‑human transmission among close contacts has been documented, according to the World Health Organization.

In humans, the symptoms usually begin between one week to eight weeks of exposure to...

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