The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, reassured the residents of the Canary Islands and those on board the cruise ship "MV Hondius" that the risk of the "Hanta" virus remains low.
"This disease is not COVID, and we as the World Health Organization have said so repeatedly," Tedros told reporters during a press briefing ahead of the planned evacuation of the ship's passengers on Sunday.
He added that the international community's concern about the situation surrounding the ship is "fully justified," because the coronavirus pandemic has affected the entire world and shocked humanity in a way that is still "alive in our memory," but the current situation is "much better."
The head of the organization stressed that the risk of contracting the virus is "low," both globally and for the residents of the Canary Islands, where the ship will dock. He explained that this is due to two main reasons: "Firstly, this is due to the nature of the disease itself. Secondly, to the fact that the Spanish government has taken all the necessary measures to prevent any problems."
The infections on board the ship are believed to be caused by the Andes virus, the only known type of Hantavirus capable of human-to-human transmission. However, experts and medical sources emphasize that such transmission is rare and occurs only through close and prolonged contact with an infected person, such as among family members, healthcare providers, or peers in enclosed spaces. The mortality rate in severe cases can reach 40%.
Infectious disease specialist Dr. Lucille Bloomberg commented on the outbreak on board the ship, saying: "This is not COVID, and it's not even the flu. It's an unusual case of person-to-person transmission, and it probably happened because of the closed environment on board the ship."
The ship was expected to arrive at the Spanish island of Tenerife early Sunday morning, where approximately 150 passengers would be evacuated. Spanish Health Minister Mónica García Gómez and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska confirmed that there would be "no contact" with local residents and that the evacuation would be swift, involving smaller boats and buses to transport passengers to the airport and then on to their home countries.
The virus's incubation period (the time between exposure and the onset of symptoms) ranges from one to eight weeks, making contact tracing complex. Three people on board the ship—a German woman and a Dutch couple—have died so far. A British passenger was airlifted to South Africa in critical condition.
Although some hantaviruses can cause serious illness in humans, human infection is relatively rare globally, with only a few thousand cases reported annually, mostly in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Currently, there is no specific antiviral treatment or approved vaccine against hantavirus, and healthcare focuses on supportive care.
