The World Health Organization said Thursday that eight hantavirus cases, including three deaths, had been reported in connection with the MV Hondius cruise ship, while the risk to the wider public remained low.
Five of the eight cases have been confirmed as hantavirus infections. The other three are considered suspected cases, according to the World Health Organization.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classified the outbreak as a “Level 3” emergency response, the lowest level of emergency activation, ABC News reported, citing multiple sources.
According to ABC News, the designation means the risk to the general public remains low, while the health agency continues to monitor the situation.
WHO said the outbreak involves the Andes virus, a type of hantavirus found in South America. According to a WHO fact sheet on hantaviruses, Andes virus is the currently known hantavirus for which limited human-to-human transmission among contacts has been documented.
Hantaviruses are a group of viruses carried by rodents that can cause severe disease in humans, WHO said. People usually become infected through contact with infected rodents or their urine, droppings or saliva.
WHO said hantavirus infections can cause a range of illnesses, including severe disease and death. In the Americas, hantaviruses can cause hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome, a severe respiratory illness with a case fatality rate of up to 50%.
In Europe and Asia, hantaviruses cause haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, according to WHO.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus briefed reporters Thursday on the cluster, which the agency said is linked to the cruise ship.
WHO described the incident as serious but said the public health risk remains low. The agency also said the outbreak should not be viewed as the start of another COVID-style pandemic.
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