The World Health Organization has not found any signs of mutation in the Andes virus. Passengers on the cruise ship were advised to undergo a 42-day quarantine.
hantavirus has not mutated and has not become more contagious after the cruise ship outbreak – media” loading=”eager” decoding=”async” fetchpriority=”high” style=”color:transparent;margin:0;display:block;width:100%;height:auto” class=”block w-full h-auto max-w-full” width=”730″ height=”380″ width=”730″ height=”380″ />
The World Health Organization has stated that there is currently no evidence that the hantavirus, which caused an outbreak on a cruise ship, has mutated to become more contagious or dangerous. The Hill reports this, citing UNN.
The Andes hantavirus is a rare strain that can be transmitted from person to person and has a high mortality rate.
Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s Director of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness, reported that geneticists are examining virus samples from infected passengers.
They have not found any changes that would indicate the virus has become more contagious or severe
– she stated.
Following the outbreak on the cruise ship, which resulted in three deaths, passengers who disembarked were placed under medical observation and quarantine.
US-bound passengers were transported to the National Quarantine Center in Nebraska. They had the option to remain at the center or undergo monitoring at home.
The WHO emphasized that strict quarantine measures were implemented “out of an abundance of caution,” as the hantavirus is capable of human-to-human transmission.
The organization recommends that all individuals who were on board the vessel adhere to a 42-day quarantine period.
Concurrently, the WHO underscored that the overall risk to the general population remains low at this time.