The hantavirus outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius has led to three deaths, while multiple suspected infections have also been identified. Now, emergency physician Dr. Meghan Martin is speaking out about the deadly virus.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus posted on X on Wednesday: “Three suspected hantavirus case patients have just been evacuated from the ship and are on their way to receive medical care in the Netherlands in coordination with WHO, the ship’s operator and national authorities from Cabo Verde, the United Kingdom, Spain, and the Netherlands.”
The post continued: “WHO continues to work with the ship’s operators to closely monitor the health of passengers and crew, working with countries to support appropriate medical follow-up and evacuation where needed.
“Monitoring and follow-up for passengers on board and for those who have already disembarked has been initiated in collaboration with the ship’s operators and national health authorities. WHO thanks all those involved. At this stage, the overall public health risk remains low.”
“It is a serious infectious disease”
As the hantavirus outbreak continues to spark concern – with some worrying it could become the start of another global pandemic – WHO epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove attempted to reassure the public during a recent press conference.
“This is not the next Covid, but it is a serious infectious disease. If people get infected, and infections are uncommon, they can die. People on the ship who are hearing this are very scared, rightly so,” she said, according to ABC News.
“The general public might be scared as well. Accurate information is critical. Knowing what your actual exposure might be – most people will never be exposed to this.”
What is the hantavirus?
Emergency physician Dr. Meghan Martin also recently addressed growing fears in a TikTok video, reassuring viewers: “If you are panicking or worried about the hantavirus on the cruise ship, please do not.”
She then jokingly added: “Unless you’re on the cruise ship, in which case a reasonable amount of concern is definitely warranted,” according to VT.
The virus typically spreads through contact with infected animals – particularly rodents – and generally does not spread between humans unless it involves the Andes strain, which has reportedly been identified aboard the ship.
Explaining the symptoms, Dr. Meghan Martin said: “Like a lot of illnesses it starts pretty [non]-specific.”
Symptoms of the hantavirus
Early symptoms can include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headaches, chills, nausea, and stomach issues. In more severe cases, the illness can later progress and lead to serious breathing problems.
She also warned: “After the four to 10 days you can develop more respiratory symptoms, cough, shortness of breath, chest tightness, difficulty breathing, and then it can progress from there.”
Because hantavirus is a viral infection, antibiotics do not work, and there is currently no vaccine available. According to Dr. Martin, treatment is generally limited to supportive care.
“The risk of not surviving hantavirus is pretty high. It’s between 30 and 40 per cent of the cases don’t make it,” she said.
Still, Dr. Martin stressed that despite the alarming statistics, hantavirus poses very little risk to most people in their everyday lives. She advised wearing a respiratory mask when cleaning areas that may have been contaminated by rodents, adding: “Otherwise, if you’re just living your life, hantavirus is really going to be a very, very, very, very minimal public health risk.”
READ MORE
