Five of the eight reported cases linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship have been confirmed, the World Health Organization has announced.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference that, adding that the Organization is aware of reports of other patients and there may be more cases due to the long incubation period of the virus.
There is no cause for concern, the EU confirms
The representative of the European Commission, Eva Hrdsirova, said regarding the cruise ship MV Hondius and the outbreak of the Handavirus, that the Commission is monitoring the situation and that “there is no reason for concern”.
As he mentioned, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control has already sent an expert to the ship to evaluate and monitor the situation, while the Commission is in continuous meetings on the matter.
Yesterday the Health Security Committee met with the member states, the WHO and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, today there were also meetings with representatives from the Netherlands and Spain – which has activated the civil protection mechanism – while in the afternoon a new meeting is planned with the states whose citizens are on board.
“We do not foresee a major epidemic,” said the senior WHO expert. The new virus needs “close and prolonged” contact to spread, such as between members of the same household, partners and people providing medical care.
The incubation period for the virus is expected to be “up to six weeks”, with the WHO noting that more cases are “likely”.
The first confirmed case is believed to be linked to a birdwatching trip to Argentina, Chile and Uruguay.
