As many people were affected and lost their lives due to the henta virus, now two Indians have been added to the list of dead persons due to the outbreak of the henta virus on the MV Hondias Cruise ship.
Health officials were treating the Henta virus outbreak seriously. Already, passengers from various countries, including the UK, South Africa, the Netherlands, the US, and Switzerland, have reached their homes and destinations with the help of officials on international flights.
Among the 149 passengers on the luxury cruise ship affected by the hantavirus outbreak were two Indian crew members. The outbreak resulted in the deaths of three passengers and infected eight others.
The ship set sail from Argentina a month ago and had been visiting remote wilderness areas just before the outbreak. A large international tracing operation is now underway to identify the number of people infected by the virus.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), early cases linked to the virus have been identified: three have been confirmed, and five are under suspicion. Four people have already been evacuated from the cruise for treatment.
Symptoms of the Hanta virus
The hanta virus is characterised by headache, dizziness, chills, fever, myalgia, and gastrointestinal problems, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain, followed by sudden-onset respiratory distress and hypotension. Symptoms of HPS typically occur from 2-4 weeks after initial exposure to the virus. However, symptoms may appear as early as one week and as late as eight weeks following exposure.
World Health Organisation's response(WHO)
Maria van Kerkhove, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the World Health Organisation (WHO), said that the current situation does not compare to the COVID pandemic era. She said it will spread very differently, not like COVID-19. The henta virus spreads through close, intimate contact.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus addressed a press conference on Thursday, reporting that the henna virus now spreading is identified as the Andes virus, which is found in Latin America. He also mentioned that the incubation period can last up to six weeks.
He said the organisation believes the outbreak is limited and that the possibility of infected people could increase as officials continue tracing. He also announced that approximately 2,500 hantavirus testing kits are being dispatched from laboratories in Argentina to five countries to enhance their testing and monitoring efforts related to the outbreak.
Ghebreyesus mentioned the names of the twelve countries to raise awareness among them and prepare them to face the upcoming deadly infection by tracing it as soon as possible. The countries include Canada, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
