The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, reported this Tuesday morning that at least seven cases of hantavirus have been registered on the cruise ship MV Hondius, which set sail from Argentina on March 20 and is considering disembarking in the Canary Islands. For now, it is certain that two of the cases are hantavirus, while the other five are currently suspected of having this virus.
With this confirmation, it is the second case of hantavirus confirmed, after one of the passengers was disembarked in South Africa in a very serious condition and tested positive for this virus.
According to the WHO, of the 147 passengers and crew who set sail aboard the MV Hondius, seven people have fallen ill and three of them have died. Meanwhile, one of them, who was admitted to South Africa, remains serious, and three others show mild symptoms.
For the moment, with the current information and the way the virus is spreading, the World Health Organization classifies this event as "low risk" for the global population. At the same time, it has added that they are working with the health authorities of the involved countries and the ship operators to ensure that passengers and crew receive the information and support they need.
Adhanom Ghebreyesus has highlighted that a coordinated international response is being carried out, with "exhaustive" investigations, isolation, and care for cases.
Possible landing in the Canary Islands
The MV Hondius is still off the coast of Santiago Island, in Cape Verde, on Tuesday morning. Oceanwide Expeditions, the cruise company behind this ship, indicated at noon this past Monday that it had not obtained the approval of the Cape Verdean authorities to disembark two sick workers, of British and Dutch nationality, in the country, as local authorization is necessary for the disembarkation of passengers or their medical evaluation.
Faced with this situation, he added that they are considering the possibility of sailing and disembarking at the port of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria or that of Santa Cruz, in Tenerife, so that passengers with symptoms can be examined by a doctor. This ship had the archipelago as its destination port before the outbreak was detected.
Faced with this possibility, the Government Delegation of Spain in the Canary Islands indicated to La Voz that the External Health Area is coordinating with different bodies activated by the World Health Organization to apply the necessary health measures and avoid risks.
What is hantavirus?
Hantaviruses are zoonotic viruses that normally occur among rodents, but can occasionally be transmitted to humans. This infection can cause serious illness and even death, depending on the type of virus and geographic location. Among other consequences, it can cause hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome, which progresses rapidly and affects the lungs and heart, being more frequent on the American continent; while in Europe and Asia, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, affecting the kidneys and blood vessels, usually occurs.
Until now there is no specific treatment for this virus.
According to the World Health Organization, in Argentina and Chile the Andes virus occurs, which belongs to the hantavirus family and can be transmitted between people. In addition, transmission to humans occurs after being in contact with the urine, excrement, or saliva of infected rodents.