A deadly hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship navigating the South Atlantic has prompted governments around the world to quarantine passengers and repatriate them. The World Health Organization (WHO) classified all passengers as high-risk contacts and recommended medical surveillance for up to 42 days.
"All High-Risk Contacts"… Countries Begin Quarantine
According to AFP and other outlets on Monday (local time), a large-scale transfer operation was conducted at the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius, anchored at Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands.
At least eight infections have been confirmed so far, including three fatalities: a Dutch couple and a German woman. The WHO has officially confirmed six of these as confirmed cases.
The Hondius was carrying about 150 passengers and crew members from 23 countries. The Spanish government said it had transferred 94 nationals from 19 countries to their respective home countries by that day.
Passengers wearing protective suits were moved via small vessels and then escorted to the airport on military buses. They then boarded return flights to their home countries and were transferred to quarantine facilities or hospitals.
In France, a symptomatic case emerged on the return flight itself. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said, "One passenger showed symptoms on board and was immediately placed in strict quarantine."
The Netherlands set a policy of home quarantine for its nationals and separate facility quarantine for foreign nationals, while Greece decided to hospitalize one of its nationals in quarantine for 45 days. Spain is also monitoring 14 of its nationals at a military hospital.
Singapore's health authorities also quarantined two residents with a history of boarding the Hondius at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID). Test results have been negative so far, but long-term observation is continuing in consideration of the incubation period.
'Andes Virus'… KDCA Says Domestic Inflow Risk Is Low
The core of this incident is that the 'Andes virus,' which is capable of human-to-human transmission, has been confirmed. The Andes virus is the only hantavirus known to date with officially reported cases of human-to-human transmission.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) assessed on Saturday that "the domestic public health risk is low."
According to the KDCA, hantavirus is mainly transmitted through contact with environments contaminated by the urine, feces or saliva of rodents such as rats. The disease pattern varies depending on the type of virus, and the Andes virus causes Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome (HCPS).
In the early stages of infection, symptoms resemble a cold, with fever, muscle pain and headache, but can later worsen into rapid respiratory distress, pulmonary edema and cardiac dysfunction. The fatality rate is known to be 20 to 35 percent.
In particular, as there is no approved vaccine or specific antiviral drug yet, only symptom-relief-focused treatment is possible.
The Hantavirus Name Began with 'Korea'
The name hantavirus itself originated in Korea.
In 1976, the virus causing epidemic hemorrhagic fever was identified for the first time in the world in the lung tissue of striped field mice collected along the Hantan River in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province. It was named the 'Hantaan virus' after the place where it was discovered. The name was later expanded to become an academic term referring to the entire hantavirus family.
However, the KDCA explained that rodents carrying the Andes virus do not inhabit Korea, and no cases of domestic inflow have been confirmed to date.
KDCA Commissioner Lim Seung-kwan said, "The risk of domestic inflow is low, but we are continuously monitoring trends in infectious diseases overseas," adding, "When traveling to South America, people should avoid contact with rodents and refrain from visiting enclosed spaces."
He further emphasized, "If symptoms such as fever, respiratory distress or abdominal pain occur after returning home, people should immediately visit a medical institution and must inform them of their overseas travel history."
