European health officials are monitoring a hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship in the Atlantic, with the risk to the general public in Europe currently considered very low.
Measures are being put in place on board to reduce the risk of further infections among passengers and crew, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said in a statement on Tuesday.
Hantaviruses are viruses that can pass from animals to humans, most often when people inhale dust contaminated by infected rodents’ urine, droppings or saliva, particularly in enclosed or poorly ventilated places.
Some hantaviruses found in the Americas can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a severe illness that can involve fever followed by rapid breathing problems and shock.
Most hantaviruses do not spread from person to person, with the Andes virus — reported mainly in parts of South America — being a known exception that can pass between people through close and prolonged contact.
What investigators are still trying to establish
It is not yet known whether the infections in the cruise ship outbreak were caused by environmental exposure or transmission between individuals, and the specific hantavirus involved has not been identified, the ECDC said.
Several aspects remain under investigation, including the virus species involved, the origin of infection, how far it has spread among passengers and crew, and whether person-to-person transmission occurred.
The ECDC noted it is in contact with national public health authorities and the World Health Organization and will provide updates as more information becomes available.
