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The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared that every person aboard a cruise ship struck by a deadly hantavirus outbreak is a “high-risk contact” and must be actively monitored for 42 days.
Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s director for epidemic and pandemic preparedness, emphasised on Saturday that this rigorous follow-up is necessary for all passengers and crew disembarking the vessel to prevent further transmission of the life-threatening virus.
This directive follows a fatal outbreak on the MV Hondius, which is scheduled to dock in the Canary Islands on Sunday.
The 42-day observation period is designed to cover the full duration of potential incubation and ensure any symptoms are caught immediately.
The WHO is taking a hardline approach to containing the cluster, which would be considered high-risk, until people can get back to their home countries.
Despite the high-risk designation for those on the ship, the WHO maintains that the threat to the general public and the residents of the Canary Islands remains “low.”
This localised monitoring approach aims to provide a safety net without causing a broader alarm.
Hantaviruses are typically transmitted through contact with infected rodents, and the current measures are focused on identifying anyone who may have been exposed while on the vessel.
