Hantavirus is a illness usually unfold by contaminated rats. As of Friday, there have been a complete of six confirmed circumstances of a hantavirus variant — named the “Andes” subtype — linked to the cruise ship and two possible circumstances, in line with the World Well being Group (WHO). The Andes subtype is the one variant identified to unfold amongst people.
The WHO has sought to calm fears that the outbreak might set off a world well being emergency on the size of Covid-19. The Spanish authorities’s plans to let the cruise ship, the MV Hondius, arrive in Tenerife have provoked controversy, together with amongst Canary Islands leaders.
The ship will anchor off Tenerife with out docking. Passengers will then be ferried to the commercial port of Granadilla and transported in “sealed, guarded automobiles, by means of a very cordoned-off hall” earlier than being repatriated on to their residence international locations, in line with WHO Director Basic Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Ghebreyesus is ready to journey to Tenerife with Spain’s inside and well being ministers to coordinate the arrival of the cruise ship. Ghebreyesus addressed the folks of Tenerife immediately by way of social media on Saturday, acknowledging their fears whereas stressing that “this isn’t one other Covid.”
“The present public well being threat from hantavirus stays low,” Ghebreyesus stated.
Ghebreyesus intends to “stand alongside the well being staff, port employees, and officers who’re making [the operation] occur, and to personally pay my respects to an island that has responded to a tough state of affairs with grace, solidarity, and compassion.”
