The World Health Organization stated on the 11th that it has received a total of 9 case reports related to the cruise ship 'Hondius', among which 7 cases have been confirmed as infected with Andes virus, a member of the hantavirus family, and 3 deaths have occurred. The latest confirmed case is a female passenger reported by France who disembarked and returned to France the previous day.
Olivier, head of WHO's Epidemiology and Analysis Response Team, said at a hantavirus social media discussion that currently there is another passenger who has been repatriated and is awaiting further confirmation of diagnosis.
In response to questions about why new cases continue to appear, Olivier explained that the Andes virus has a relatively long incubation period, usually around three weeks and up to 40 to 45 days. Even if strict prevention and control measures are implemented, it is still possible to see more cases in the coming days or even next week.
He stated that the recommended isolation or quarantine measures for those who have disembarked are intended to ensure they have no contact with others, thereby reducing the risk of transmission. Such preventive measures are particularly important because the virus is most infectious in the early stages of the disease. WHO advocates health monitoring and proactive quarantine isolation for related individuals to prevent further spread of the virus.
According to a statement released later on the 11th by the Spanish Ministry of Health, among the 14 Spanish citizens who disembarked from the 'Hondius' cruise the previous day and are currently in isolation at a Madrid hospital, one person has preliminarily tested positive for hantavirus in the first round of tests.
This individual is currently asymptomatic and in good overall condition. The initial PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test results for the remaining 13 people were negative. They will continue to be under isolation and observation, and undergo repeated testing during this period to monitor their health status.