Explainer
At least three people have died due to an outbreak of an acute respiratory virus on an MV Hondius cruise ship. To the Hantavirus infections are generally related to exposure to excrement and secretions of wild or infected rodents, like mice. Although rare, contagion can occur between people. Symptoms include sudden fever, muscle pain, cough, shortness of breath and even kidney problems.
How can it be transmitted?
The infection can transmitted to people through inhalation or contact with excrement, urine and saliva from infected rodents or, more rarely, through bites and scratches from infected animals.
In addition, the virus can also be transmitted through inhalation of virus particles in places where large quantities of rodent excrement are accumulated.
Although rare, there are cases in which hantaviruses are transmitted from person to person through close physical contact.
What are the main symptoms?
One to eight weeks after exposure, hantavirus infection initially manifests itself as symptoms very similar to those of the flulike a sudden fever, headaches e muscle painsometimes accompanied by abdominal symptoms. In addition to these, it also includes cough, shortness of breathe e kidney problems.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some people who have contracted the infection have also reported dizziness, chills, and gastric problems.
Depending on the species, the virus ‘attacks’ different organs. According to the there are two types of hantavirus infection: pulmonary syndrome and renal syndrome.
With regard to the first, found in the western United States, Canada and in Central and South American countries, the lungs are mainly affected.
Renal syndrome affects the kidneys and can cause hemorrhagic fever. Renal syndrome is found mainly in parts of the European continent, China and Russia. There are, however, cases in which the symptoms of the two syndromes overlap.
How common and deadly is the infection?
The infection was first characterized in 1993, in the United States, following an outbreak in the Four Corners region, in the southwest of the country. In total, 14 died during this outbreak.
According to thewhich cites data from the CDC, at least 129 cases of hantavirus have been confirmed in New Mexico since 1993. Between 1993 and 2023, more than 890 cases of hantavirus have been reported nationwide.
In 2015, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated the global death rate at 36%. Given the high mortality rate, researchers described it as “one of the most serious infectious diseases endemic in the United States”.
Worldwide, it is estimated that approximately 150,000 to 200,000 people are hospitalized every year with renal syndrome. According to a study by the Center for Food Safety and Public Health at the University of Iowa, Most of these cases occur in Asiaalthough they are also registered in Europe and Russia.
How to prevent and treat?
Prevention essentially involves avoiding exposure to infected rodents, as well as their excrement and body secretions.
As most cases are associated with agricultural activities, Precautions include airing the room or space where the rodents are and that you want to clean, wetting the contaminated area with disinfectant and using protective clothing and gloves throughout this process.
As for pet rat owners, Washing your hands after caring for rodents and before eating, drinking or preparing food, as well as preventing bites and scratches are some of the precautions to take.
Furthermore, it is important to avoid exposing fresh wounds to the skin during contact with these animals. Avoiding vacuuming or sweeping dry excrement is another precaution.
As for treatment, nThere are no medications to treat a hantavirus infection. The usual treatment involves care such as administration of oxygen, fluid management, blood pressure support and ventilation.
How can the outbreak on the Atlantic cruise ship be explained?
On Sunday, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the death of at least three people due to suspected outbreak of a res.piracy on a cruise ship MV Hondius, which was sailing between Ushaia, Argentina, and Cape Verde. Of the total of six cases, three people died and one is in treated in intensive care at a hospital in South Africa.
The WHO stated that is investigating the situationnamely through laboratory tests.
Although it is not yet known what caused the outbreak, according to doctor and researcher at the University of Queensland, Yomani Sarathkumara, “there are some biologically plausible possibilities”, the expert told .
They are: the possibility of contamination by rodents found on the ship; the possibility, due to the long incubation periods of the virus, that crew members or passengers were exposed to the infection outside the cruise, such as during activities and stops on land; and person-to-person transmission.
The latter, according to the researcher, is the least likely to have happened. “This is plausible theoretically, but it is highly [improvável]”, said Balasubramaniam.
