An outbreak of hantavirus on board a cruise ship is not the start of a pandemic, the UN health agency has said.
The hantavirus outbreak on a transatlantic cruise ship which has led to the deaths of three people poses no threat to Estonia, experts said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced last Sunday three passengers aboard the vessel, destined for the Canary Islands after sailing from Argentina, had died after contracting the virus.
While the hantavirus is usually transmitted from rodents to humans, the recent cases turned out to involve the Andes strain, which can also spread from person to person via very close contact.
Such human-to-human transmission remains extremely rare, virologist and Eesti 200 MP Irja Lutsar said, stressing there is no cause for concern here in Estonia.
“There is absolutely no need for fear, and to my understanding there were no Estonians on board that ship. There are infected people on board, and the virus has spread from person to person there. But if we cast our minds back, there were also outbreaks on cruise ships during the coronavirus pandemic. At that time, dozens of percent of the passengers became infected with coronavirus. Nothing like that is happening here,” Lutsar told ERR.
Nevertheless, hantaviruses are also recorded to have caused illnesses in Estonia; in addition to other strains circulating in Europe, Estonia is home to a local hantavirus type termed the Saaremaa virus. This strain is relatively mild, however.
While there is no specific treatment for hantaviruses, infection can be prevented, Lutsar went on, adding extra care should be taken given the time of year.
“It is worth reminding people now, as this is the season for spring cleaning, and sheds and basements have been left undisturbed all winter. When we start cleaning them and the dust begins to fly, there are certainly animal droppings present. In those situations, we should wear respirators rather than simple masks, and put on gloves. In that way we can prevent infection,” Lutsar said.
Hantavirus can cause three forms of disease: hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, a milder kidney disease common in Europe, and severe cardiopulmonary syndrome, which damages the heart and lungs. The Andes strain identified in the cruise ship case is associated with the latter effects.
Timely medical treatment is essential if a person contracts the virus, given severer strains can prove fatal. “In any case, those people need to be taken off the ship so they can access medical care,” Lutsar said. “The mortality rate of hantaviruses can be as high as 25 percent. With modern intensive care, it is viable to bring people out of shock, and patients with severe respiratory failure or lung damage can also be helped. So there are several treatment options available, but patients need to reach the right medical center.”
The BBC reported health authorities are racing to trace dozens of people who have recently disembarked from the cruise vessel, the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius. As of Thursday, WHO said five of eight suspected cases were confirmed as hantavirus, and of the three fatalities, one was a 69-year-old Dutch woman. Around 150 passengers and crew were aboard the luxury vessel when it embarked on its journey, though “dozens” disembarked on St. Helena on April 24. The Hondius is due to arrive in the Canary Islands on Sunday.
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