World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated on the 12th that after the evacuation operation for those aboard the Hantavirus-affected cruise ship 'Hondues' was completed, there is currently no sign of a larger-scale outbreak. However, response efforts are not yet over, and new cases may still emerge in the coming weeks.
At a joint press conference with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at the Moncloa Palace, Tedros also thanked the Spanish government for agreeing to receive the affected cruise ship and organizing the evacuation operations. He emphasized that the efforts are ongoing, and WHO will continue to work closely with relevant countries to monitor the health status of evacuees.
He said that so far, there have been 11 reported Hantavirus cases, all among those who were on the affected cruise ship, including three deaths. Of the 11 cases, 9 have been confirmed to be infected with Andes virus, a member of the Hantavirus family, while the other 2 are suspected cases.
No Sign of Larger-Scale Outbreak
Tedros stated that, at present, there is no sign of a larger-scale outbreak beginning. WHO continues to assess the overall global public health risk from this incident as low. However, given the lengthy incubation period, the possibility of new cases emerging over the coming weeks remains.
He said WHO recommends that all those evacuated from the affected cruise ship undergo 42 days of health monitoring in designated isolation facilities or at home, counted from the last potential exposure to infection risk.
At the press conference, Sánchez said that Spain coordinated 10 special flights to complete the evacuation of more than 120 people of different nationalities.