Hantavirus Outbreak on MV Hondius: French Officials Reassured
Sequencing shows the shipboard virus matches the Andes strain and found no segment exchange, easing fears of a new variant.
- Genetic sequencing of samples from an MV Hondius passenger confirms the Andes hantavirus strain on Friday, ruling out mutations and demonstrating no exchange of genetic material with other strains.
- Unlike other hantavirus variants, the Andes strain is unique as the only type known to transmit between humans. Cruise ship environments facilitate close contact, increasing transmission risks for passengers.
- Dr. Brendan Jackson, acting director of the high-consequence pathogens division at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Monday that the ship's close quarters likely fueled the outbreak. The CDC defines close contact as within 6 feet for longer than 15 minutes.
- At least six passengers from the MV Hondius have tested positive for the virus, with 18 Americans currently in quarantine facilities across the United States. Officials are closely monitoring at least three for possible infection.
- While experts consider the public risk extremely low, Dr. Ashish Jha of Harvard University's Kennedy School noted reports of transmission without prolonged exposure. Researchers continue investigating how the Andes strain infects people.
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15 Articles
Hantavirus Outbreak on MV Hondius: French Officials Reassured
French Health Minister Stephanie Rist addressed uncertainties regarding the hantavirus outbreak on MV Hondius. Although genetic mutation is uncertain, officials remain somewhat reassured. The World Health Organization confirmed nine cases linked to the Andes strain but reports no wider outbreak, urging isolation for suspected cases.
The first analyses show genomes very close to the Andes strain, already detected in humans in 1997 and 2018 in Argentina, which reassures scientists.
The hantavirus variant behind the outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship can be transmitted between people. The same variant previously caused another deadly outbreak – after a party in a village in Argentina. Víctor Díaz has been identified as patient zero.
Specialists of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) analyzed the contagion of hantaviruses on the cruise ship MV Hondius to find out if it is a new variant of the virus. After genetic analysis, the specialists determined that the outbreak of hantavirus on the Dutch cruise ship MH Hondius points out that it is the Andean variant, already known, and not a new one. This determination is important, since the specialists conc…
Initial genetic analysis of the ‘MV Hondius’ hantavirus outbreak confirms it belongs to the Andes strain and rules out mutations
The hantavirus from the MV Hondius outbreak has been sequenced from samples taken from one of the infected individuals. The results confirm that it is the Andes strain, the most virulent and contagious, but rule out any mutation. Sequencing the virus is now a priority for the scientific community. It holds within its structure a black box of crucial information: it can help identify how the virus spread, why so many people have become ill (to da…
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