Hantavirus outbreak contained on cruise ship, expert says risk to public low

The Story

In a recent opinion piece, global public health expert Prof Devi Sridhar stated that the current hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship is being handled well, though dangerous days remain. The outbreak involves about 150 people of 23 nationalities, with some passengers having disembarked before the virus was detected. According to Sridhar, the Andes strain of hantavirus can transmit from human to human and has an incubation period of one to eight weeks. There is currently no approved vaccine, specific therapeutic, or rapid diagnostic test for this strain. Public health authorities are relying on isolation, quarantine, and N95 masks to contain the spread. The World Health Organization has taken the lead on the response, and the UK Health Security Agency, headed by Prof Susan Hopkins, has implemented supported isolation arrangements at Arrowe Park hospital. No secondary infections have been identified so far, but the author cautions that more cases may emerge in the coming weeks.

Key Facts

• Hantavirus cases occur regularly around the world, though previous outbreaks have been contained — none were on a cruise ship.
• The current outbreak is on a cruise ship with approximately 150 people of 23 nationalities.
• The Andes strain was first detected; it can transmit from human to human and has caused super-spreading events.
• Incubation period for hantavirus is one to eight weeks.
• No approved vaccine, therapeutic, or rapid diagnostic test exists for this strain.
• Some passengers disembarked before the outbreak was detected and took commercial flights home.
• Traditional public health measures being used: isolation, quarantine, and N95 masks.
• WHO recommends a 42-day quarantine for those exposed.
• The US recently quit the WHO and fired all CDC cruise inspectors; the WHO has taken the lead on response.
• The UK Health Security Agency (led by Prof Susan Hopkins) is using self-contained flats at Arrowe Park hospital for isolation.

Conflicting Reports

No conflicting reports identified in the source article.

Still Unclear

It remains unclear how many additional passengers on the cruise ship will test positive in the coming days, and whether secondary contacts from flights or elsewhere will develop infections given the long incubation period.

Misconceptions

The author explicitly addresses that this is not a repeat of the Covid-19 pandemic, noting that previous hantavirus outbreaks have been contained and that the risk to the general public remains low for now.

Key Figures

• Prof Devi Sridhar, chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh and author of the opinion piece.
• Prof Susan Hopkins, head of the UK Health Security Agency.

Sources: The Guardian