The hantavirus has returned to place itself under the sight of the health authorities of the United States after the recent infections linked to a cruise in the Atlantic. despite As a result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reiterated that the risk to the U.S. population remains “extremely low.”

And the agency reported that active monitoring of the outbreak recorded on the M/V Hondius cruise is maintained, in addition to coordination with international authorities to follow up the passengers involved, among those who are Americans.

Outbreak on cruise leaves confirmed cases and deaths

The current focus is related to an international outbreak that has left three people dead.

The World Health Organization(WHO) reported a total eight linked cases: five confirmed and three suspected.

Health authorities have monitored passengers who disembarked from the cruise in different countries, including the United States.

What is hantavirus and the situation in the US?

The hantavirus is a group of rare viruses, but with potential to cause serious disease. It is usually transmitted primarily by contact with infected rodents, although some variants can spread between people.

In the United States, the virus gained significant relevance in 1993, after a deadly outbreak recorded in the region called the Four Corners which includes between New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Utah.

In 1995, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome became a notifiable disease at a national level. Subsequently, in 2014 the Surveillance to include all laboratory-confirmed infections, both pulmonary and nonpulmonary, and reporting began in 2015.

As of the end of 2023, 890 cases of hantavirus disease have been reported in the United States since surveillance began in 1993. These cases were laboratory-confirmed and included hantavirus pulmonary syndrome(HPS) and non-pulmonary hantavirus infection.

Variant involved in the current outbreak

In the recent case linked to the cruise, the authorities have identified the presence of the Andean virus, a variant that has the particularity of being able to be transmitted from person to person.

The investigation points to that the outbreak would have began when a married couple of Dutch nationality became infected during wildlife observation activities outside the boat.

President Donald Trump referred to the issue and assured that the situation is being controlled by health teams.

“It seems that everything is fine… it seems that we have things under very good control,” he declared from the White House.

Repatriation of Americans traveling on cruises

He added that the virus is not transmitted easily and that monitoring the outbreak is constant.

The State Department also reported that a repatriation flight is being organized for U.S. citizens who were aboard the M/V Hondius.

WHO maintains global low risk assessment

The World Health Organization has reiterated that, despite the cases detected, the risk to the general population remains low while investigations into the origin and spread of the outbreak continue.