Belgian health authorities identified another individual who may have been exposed to hantavirus while on board the cruise ship MV Hondius.
The Brussels resident was part of the international team that carried out a medical assessment on the MV Hondius, where a hantavirus outbreak was detected earlier this year.
Hantaviruses are a group of viruses typically transmitted by rodents. Symptoms include fever, abdominal pain, and respiratory problems. In some cases, the infection can be fatal.
The Brussels resident was transferred to Belgium on Monday. As they are considered "low-risk", they do not need to quarantine, according to the Belgian Health Ministry.
Instead, the person will continue to monitor their health daily over the course of six weeks, a routine they started on 10 May. This will be monitored by the Brussels health authority Vivalis.
The Federal Health Ministry emphasised on Monday that the general public health risk in Belgium is still considered "very low".
Seven contact cases in Belgium
There are currently seven contact cases in Belgium, according to the Belgian Health Ministry. A contact case refers to a person who has been exposed to a suspected, probable or confirmed case of a disease or virus.
Out of the seven cases, two people are considered high-risk. They are quarantining at home and are being monitored by the Flemish authorities.
The other contact cases are considered low-risk. Three of these are people who live in Wallonia, and two live in the Brussels-Capital Region.
Hantavirus: What is it and what are the symptoms?
Hantaviruses are usually carried by rodents. Transmission to humans can happen due to contact with contaminated urine, droppings or saliva of infected rodents. Infection can also occur through rodent bites. Human-to-human transmissions are relatively uncommon, according to the WHO.
Symptoms in humans usually begin between one and eight weeks after exposure.
The symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, respiratory problems, muscle ache, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. The infection can result in death, although the fatality rate depends on several factors, including the type of virus.
There is no specific treatment or vaccine for hantavirus infection.
