Geneva, July 2, (dpa/GNA) – The World Health Organization on Thursday, declared the Hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship Hondius over, saying no new cases have been reported since May 25.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the final person under observation has completed quarantine, tested negative and returned home, allowing the UN health agency to formally declare the outbreak over.
More than 650 contacts in around 30 countries were identified and monitored during the outbreak, he said. There were 13 confirmed infections and three deaths. Several passengers contracted the rare Andes strain of the virus during the voyage aboard the luxury cruise ship Hondius, operated by Dutch company Oceanwide Expeditions, which set off from Argentina in April.
The Andes variant is the only known hantavirus strain, capable of limited person-to-person transmission. Hantaviruses are typically spread by rodents, often through particles from droppings carried in disturbed dust.
Around 150 people from 23 countries were aboard the Hondius. The vessel docked on the Spanish island of Tenerife on May 10, allowing passengers to return to their home countries under special safety measures.
The WHO had assessed the risk to the wider public as low and reiterated that there was no threat of a large-scale outbreak or pandemic.
GNA