Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Tuesday that after the occurrence of hantavirus on an evacuated cruise ship, there is no indication of a greater spread of the disease, but the work of the health authorities in this case is not over yet. This was reported by the AFP agency, writes TASR.
- The WHO director-general said there were no signs of an imminent major epidemic.
- Hantavirus on MV Hondius caused the death of three passengers without treatment.
- More than 120 people from the ship were evacuated by air from the Canary Islands home.
- WHO guidelines provide for 42 days of quarantine and monitoring of risk contacts.
- Cape Verde refused to accept the ship, Spain allowed it to dock near the Canary Islands.
The fate of the MV Hondius caused international concern due to the infection of a rare virus and the death of three passengers. There are no vaccines or specific treatment for the disease. However, health officials stress that the risk to public health is low and reject comparisons with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There is no indication that we are witnessing the beginning of a larger epidemic,” said Tedros at a joint press conference with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in Madrid. “But, of course, the situation could change and given the long incubation period of this virus, it is possible that we could see more cases in the coming weeks,” he added.
More than 120 passengers and crew members of the MV Hondius were airlifted from the Spanish Canary Islands on Sunday and Monday, with home countries adopting various health measures for returning evacuees.
Most follow WHO guidelines, which include a 42-day quarantine and continuous monitoring of high-risk contacts. But in the US, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Jay Bhattacharya said that American passengers are not necessarily quarantined. “I hope (countries) will follow our advice and recommendations,” Tedros said in Madrid.
The MV Hondius case also caused diplomatic problems when several countries had a problem with who would receive and treat passengers. Cape Verde refused to accept the ship, which was anchored in the sea near the capital Praia and from where three people were evacuated to Europe by air last week.
Spain allowed the ship to dock off the Canary Islands to evacuate passengers and crew, although the archipelago’s regional government strongly opposed this. Sánchez defended this procedure. “The world doesn’t need more selfishness or more fear. It needs countries that show solidarity and want to step forward.” he declared.
