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Hantavirus outbreak connected cruise vessel sparks interest arsenic passengers return to US
Fox News elder aesculapian expert Dr. Marc Siegel discusses nan Hantavirus outbreak aboard nan MV Hondius cruise ship, wherever 3 deaths occurred. Siegel explains that while human-to-human dispersed is rare, it's not impossible. The conception highlights nan return of passengers to nan U.S. from locations for illustration Tenerife and Praia, raising caller nationalist wellness concerns and emphasizing nan request for containment.
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Canadian wellness officials connected Sunday confirmed that 1 of 4 Canadians who returned from nan MV Hondius cruise ship, nan taxable of an world Andes hantavirus outbreak, tested affirmative for hantavirus. Three group connected to nan outbreak person died.
The Public Health Agency of Canada confirmed nan affirmative trial aft British Columbia’s apical nationalist wellness serviceman antecedently described nan lawsuit arsenic a "presumptive positive."
"One individual’s sample was confirmed affirmative for hantavirus," nan agency said successful a statement.
Officials said further testing will beryllium conducted astatine a nationalist laboratory. It was not instantly clear whether that testing was for confirmation, strain characterization aliases different purpose.
CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER DESCRIBES UNCERTAINTY AFTER 3 DEATHS AMID HANTAVIRUS PROBE
Experts opportunity cruise outbreaks get much attraction owed to nationalist reporting rules, but galore travelers still scheme to sail arsenic booked. (Myloupe/Universal Images Group)
The improvement comes arsenic world wellness officials proceed monitoring nan rare hantavirus outbreak tied to nan MV Hondius, which has sickened aggregate passengers.
As of May 13, nan World Health Organization said 11 cases had been identified successful relationship pinch nan cruise outbreak, including 8 confirmed cases, 2 probable cases and 1 inconclusive case. Those figures included 3 deaths. The Associated Press later reported that nan Canadian confirmation brought nan number of group from nan vessel who had tested affirmative to 10.
Canadian wellness officials said 4 Canadians returned location from nan MV Hondius, though only 1 has tested affirmative for nan virus.
RARE HANTAVIRUS HUMAN-TO-HUMAN TRANSMISSION SUSPECTED ON LUXURY CRUISE SHIP WHERE 3 HAVE DIED
The uncommon Andes virus, which was linked to nan MV Hondius cruise vessel outbreak, is nan only known hantavirus strain that has nan capacity to dispersed from personification to person, usually done prolonged adjacent contact. (Andres Gutierrez/Anadolu)
The confirmed diligent and a walking companion — identified arsenic a Yukon mates successful their 70s — returned from nan cruise together. The companion later tested negative, officials said.
A 3rd personification successful their 70s from Vancouver Island remains successful isolation, on pinch a British Columbia resident successful their 50s.
So far, nary confirmed U.S. cases tied to nan cruise vessel person been reported, though WHO said arsenic of May 13 that 1 U.S.-repatriated rider had inconclusive laboratory results and was undergoing retesting.
HANTAVIRUS DEATHS ON CRUISE SHIP HIGHLIGHT DANGERS OF RODENT-BORNE DISEASE
Pictured is nan MV Hondius, nan cruise vessel tied to a hantavirus outbreak aft a extremity successful Argentina that near 3 passengers dead. (Europa Press Canarias via Getty Images)
Last week, however, wellness officials successful Ontario County, New York, announced they were investigating a suspected locally acquired hantavirus case unrelated to nan cruise ship.
The Ontario County Public Health Department said location was nary consequence to nan wide public. Officials besides said nan strain typically seen successful nan United States is not known to dispersed from personification to person.
The outbreak linked to nan MV Hondius began aft nan Dutch cruise ship, carrying 147 passengers and unit members, departed Argentina connected April 1 for a South Atlantic voyage.
TRAPPED CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER SHARES UPDATE ON CLEANLINESS OF SHIP AMID DEADLY HANTAVIRUS OUTBREAK
The outbreak has prompted heightened precautions internationally, including successful nan Netherlands, wherever Radboud University Medical Center quarantined 12 unit members aft officials said a hantavirus patient’s humor and urine were not handled nether nan strictest protocols recommended for nan microorganism strain.
The outbreak has besides sparked comparisons to nan coronavirus pandemic. However, Fox News elder aesculapian expert Dr. Marc Siegel antecedently told Fox News Digital location is "no comparison."
He noted hantavirus is difficult to spread.
Passengers evacuated from nan hantavirus-stricken Hondius cruise vessel locomotion pinch their belongings aft disembarking astatine Eindhoven Air Base, Netherlands, connected May 12. (Piroschka van de Wouw)
"It's not airborne ... successful position of respiratory droplets hanging successful nan air," he said. "It's very difficult to transmit."
While coronavirus "moved successful nan guidance of humans successful a important way," hantavirus has not, isolated from for "very rare" cases of human-to-human transmission, he added.
The World Health Organization has assessed nan consequence to nan world organization arsenic low, while noting that existent grounds suggests consequent human-to-human transmission whitethorn person occurred connected board. Andes microorganism is nan only hantavirus known to person documented person-to-person transmission, though specified dispersed is considered rare.
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Siegel besides noted hantavirus cases person been reported successful nan United States for decades, though they stay "very rare."
Fox News Digital’s Brittany Miller and Angelica Stabile, on pinch The Associated Press, contributed to this report.
