A leading expert has warned that masks might need to return to stem the deadly outbreak of Hantavirus. The world is currently watching as the outbreak originating from a luxury cruise ship in the South Atlantic has claimed three lives and left several others fighting for survival.
Health officials have issued urgent “mask up” warnings for those in close contact with potential cases, as fears grow over the potential for human-to-human transmission of a strain typically found in South America, as a result.
The crisis began aboard the Dutch-flagged polar expedition vessel MV Hondius, which departed Argentina last month. What was meant to be a scenic voyage across the Atlantic turned into a floating quarantine zone after a Dutch passenger died on board on 11 April. The tragedy deepened when his wife also succumbed to the virus on April 26.
A third fatality, a German national, was reported as the ship reached the coast of Cape Verde. Images from the scene off Cape Verde show the scale of the emergency response. Medics in full-body personal protective equipment (PPE) were seen ferrying suspected patients from the blue-hulled MV Hondius via a red pilot boat, the Santa Catarina.
The evacuated individuals, including a 56-year-old British expedition guide, were transferred to ambulances waiting on the quayside before being flown to specialist isolation units in the Netherlands and South Africa.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is now investigating whether the Andes strain of the virus - the only variant known to potentially spread between people - is responsible. "Human-to-human transmission of hantavirus is extremely rare. However, cases have been linked to a specific species of the disease, called Andes virus, which circulates primarily in South America," explains Dr Michelle Barron, senior medical director for infection control and prevention at UCHealth.
In the UK, the Health Security Agency has confirmed that two individuals who returned from the ship independently are currently self-isolating. Although they remain asymptomatic, the long incubation period of the virus - which can last up to six weeks - means they must remain under close watch. British officials are working urgently to support those still on board as the vessel prepares to dock in the Canary Islands following a tense diplomatic standoff.
Experts warn that the virus is particularly insidious because it often begins with vague symptoms that mirror a common flu, such as fever, muscle aches, and fatigue. However, Lauren Bryan, an infection preventionist at UCHealth, notes a "really distinct feature" of the infection: severe leg, hip, and back pain that does not go away with standard painkillers. The virus can progress rapidly, causing inflammation that leads to the lungs filling with fluid.
Medical guidance emphasises that prevention is a "function of inhaling the virus," as particles from rodent droppings can become aerosolised and breathed in. "Ultraviolet light actually kills the virus," Bryan advises, suggesting that people "open up and air out the spaces you’re trying to clean and let the sunlight in before you go in and do anything."
While these precautions are typically for cleaning rural sheds or barns, the confined, recirculated air of a cruise ship has created a unique and dangerous environment for transmission.
Source: Drudge Report
