According to the World Health Organization, passengers and crew on the MV Hondius must be monitored for 42 days after disembarking
A World Health Organization (WHO) stated this Saturday (9) that he considers all people on board the cruise affected by a as “high risk” contactswhich must be actively monitored for 42 days.
“We classify all people on board as what we call high-risk contacts,” Maria Van Kerkhove, director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention at the WHO, said during a social media event.
She added that “active monitoring and monitoring of all passengers and crew who disembark during a period of 42 days” is recommended.
She highlighted that the risk to the general population and the inhabitants of the Canary Islands, where the cruise ship MV Hondius is expected to drop anchor on Sunday, remains “low”.
What is hantavirus?
According to the Ministry of Health, the Hantavirus is an acute viral zoonosis which, in Brazil, manifests itself mainly in the form of Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome (HCPS), a serious condition that can compromise the respiratory and cardiovascular system.
The virus belongs to the Hantaviridae family and its natural reservoirs are wild rodents, which eliminate the infectious agent through urine, feces and saliva without showing symptoms throughout their lives.
Transmission to humans occurs, in most cases, through inhalation of contaminated aerosols from the excreta of these animals. It can also happen through direct contact with mucous membranes. — such as eyes, mouth and nose —, due to skin injuries or rodent bites.
Although rare, transmission between people has already been recorded in countries such as Argentina and Chile, associated with a specific type of virus.
