The Swiss government has confirmed that an MV Hondius passenger who returned to Switzerland has been infected with hantavirus and is being treated in Zurich, fuelling fear of yet another COVID scenario.<\/p>\n
According to Swiss officials, the general public is not in danger. The Andes strain, the only one known to propagate among humans, has been identified as the cause of this specific outbreak.<\/p>\n
The ship departed Argentina on April 1 with 147 people on board; three are dead, and one is still in critical condition.<\/p>\n
ALSO READ |\u00a0What Is Hantavirus? WHO Flags Concern On Cruise Ship-Linked Disease, Issues Advisory On Global Risk<\/a><\/p>\n After responding to an email from the ship’s operator alerting the passengers of the health incident, he went to a hospital in Zurich, Switzerland, where he is currently being treated.<\/p>\n WHO is collaborating with pertinent nations to facilitate international contact tracing in accordance with the International Health Regulations (IHR) in order to monitor possibly exposed individuals and prevent further disease spread. They posted on the same on their official X handle.<\/p>\n Swiss authorities have confirmed a case of #hantavirus<\/a> identified in a passenger from the MV Hondius cruise ship.<\/p>\n He had responded to an email from the ship’s operator informing the passengers of the health event, and presented himself to a hospital in Zurich, Switzerland, and\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/4mmBd7qSA4<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) May 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n The National Institute for Communicable Diseases in South Africa, NICD and Geneva University Hospitals in Switzerland have confirmed that the virus causing this outbreak is Andes hantavirus.<\/p>\n The assistance of the Administration Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud and the Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Senegal, Argentina’s response to this incident has also been crucial.<\/p>\n Three of the eight cases as of May 6 have been laboratory-confirmed to be caused by hantavirus.<\/p>\n WHO says it will keep collaborating with nations to make sure that patients, contacts, travellers, and crew have the knowledge and assistance they require to stay safe and stop the spread.<\/p>\n ALSO READ |\u00a0Hantavirus Outbreak: How It Spreads, Who Is At Risk, Symptoms, Precautions \u2014 All You Need To Know<\/a><\/p>\n What Is Hantavirus<\/p>\n Hantaviruses, a class of viruses, are capable of causing fatalities and severe diseases. Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome are two illnesses brought on by these viruses. A class of rodent-borne viruses known as hantaviruses can cause uncommon but serious renal and respiratory illnesses in people.<\/p>\n They are categorised as zoonotic viruses because they spread from animals to humans, mainly wild mice and rats. According to the WHO, the risk to the general public, however, remains low. As per the latest studies, people typically contract the infection by coming into contact with infected rats or by coming into contact with their saliva, urine, or excrement.<\/p>\n \n Essential Business<\/a> Intelligence,
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