So far, no one else on board has developed symptoms, Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s acting director of epidemiology and pandemic management, said at the press event. This is “a good sign,” he said, but he also noted that the Andes virus has a long incubation period (about six weeks). Passengers are being advised to wear medical masks while leaving their rooms.
At the same event, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was in regular contact with the ship’s captain, telling him that “morale has increased significantly” since the ship began its journey to the Canary Islands.
What do we know about Andes virus?
Andes virus is the only hantavirus known to transmit between people. Transmission appears to depend on prolonged, intimate contact.
andes virus was outbreak in argentina About eight years ago. Between November 2018 and February 2019, there were 34 confirmed cases of infection and 11 deaths. Tedros said the outbreak began when a person with symptoms attended a social gathering. “That’s the situation we’re in right now,” he said. “A group in a confined space with close contact.”
He said the fact that the 2018 outbreak was limited to 34 cases should be somewhat reassuring. “We believe this will be a limited outbreak if public health measures are implemented and solidarity is shown across all countries,” he said.
How is Hantavirus treated?
Unfortunately, we do not have any specific antiviral treatment or vaccine for hantavirus. WHO recommends early intensive care for those who develop symptoms. “This could save lives,” Anais Legrand, WHO’s technical lead on viral hemorrhagic fever, said Thursday.
