#hantavirus

#hantavirus

“Because of the long incubation period of up to six weeks, more cases may be reported in coming days as passengers return to their countries, where they are being quarantined and tested in specialized facilities or at home,” Tedros warned. “This does not mean the outbreak is expanding; it shows that the control measures are working, that laboratory testing is ongoing, and that people are being cared for with support from their governments.”

Six people who were on the cruise ship linked to an outbreak of hantavirus have left Arrowe Park hospital in Wirral to isolate at home, health officials have said. Passengers from the MV Hondius were taken to the Merseyside facility for checks by specialists. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said public health and clinical specialists have assessed each person's circumstances, and after their latest negative test they are being allowed to continue their 45-day isolation at home.

Ontario’s ministry of health is asking seven more people to isolate in relation to a global hantavirus outbreak, though it says those individuals are considered “low-risk” contacts. Jackson Jacobs, a spokesperson for the province’s health minister, said they are in addition to the three people who were asked to isolate after being exposed to the virus while travelling, and are considered “high-risk.” They’re all directed to isolate for 45 days “out of an abundance of caution.”

“There is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak...but of course the situation could change, and given the long incubation period of the virus, it's possible we might see more cases in the coming weeks.”

Just to catch people up, this outbreak was first noticed about a week ago on a ship called the MV Hondius, which was a cruise ship departing from South America, Argentina. And the people that were sickened and unfortunately passed away, two of those individuals were a married couple who had been travelingit was a Dutch couplewe think were infected in Argentina and then boarded the ship. And then subsequently, multiple other people have been infected. As of May 7 the number of people on this cruise ship who had been infected with hantavirus was eight people. So that probably could still change.

WHO negotiators left Geneva on May 1 without managing to finalize the key annex meant to activate the global pandemic treaty approved in 2025. The mechanism designed to prevent a repeat of the inequities seen during COVID19. a hantavirus outbreak was beginning to trigger international alarm. The next day, health authorities reported several confirmed and suspected cases aboard the Arctic cruise ship MV Hondius, which had departed from Argentina.