'Evidence of human-to-human transmission' - WHO says hantavirus risk low but 'we're learning' after plague ship disembarkation

"World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday said there is evidence of human-to-human transmission of hantavirus among passengers, while reiterating that the general risk for the global public remains low despite an admission that it does not have a full picture of the dangerous Andes hantavirus strain. "We're learning a lot about the outbreak that's been happening on the ship," said top epidemiologist at WHO, Maria Van Kerkhove, said during a press conference in Geneva. "There is some evidence, certainly in the outbreak that we have right now of human-to-human transmission. I do want to remind everyone that our general risk for the global public is low," she continued. "Our working hypothesis is that the outbreak began with infection prior to the disembarkment of the ship, perhaps based on some activities of the first or the second case prior to boarding," she added. Kerkhove maintained that authorities of 20 countries were taking strict quarantine measures as a precautionary approach. "There might be human to human transmission on board [...] we're trying to do right now is look at the exposures," she added. "We simply don't have all of the answers yet." Meanwhile, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus thanked the people of Tenerife for hosting the virus-stricken ship that docked on Canary Islands on May 10. “I'm pleased to report that the operation to transfer the ship's passengers from Tenerife has been successfully completed with more than 120 people now being cared for in their home countries or quarantined in host countries en route to their final destination," he said. Captain Jan Dobrogowski and crew members are expected to dock in the Netherlands on Monday. As of May 10, a total of 10 cases, including three deaths, have been reported by WHO. According to the organisation, eight people were laboratory-confirmed with Andes virus infection and two probable cases. The current outbreak originated among passengers from the MV Hondius, an expedition cruise ship that departed Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1."

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