The outbreak of Hantavirus on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius has caused international concern as the incident is linked to the Andean virus the only strain of Hantavirus with documented, albeit rare, human-to-human transmission.
Despite the alarm raised by health authorities, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) reassure that the risk to public health remains low. Experts make it clear that the recent cases of Hantavirus are not a cause for panic or fear of a “new pandemic.”
Gikas Majorkinis, assistant professor of Hygiene and Epidemiology at the University of Athens, speaking to APE-MPA, is reassuring, pointing out that although this is the only strain that can be transmitted from person to person, this transmission is extremely limited and requires very close and prolonged contact.
“We are not at risk of a pandemic of hantavirus,” he said. He believes there is “no high risk of transmission outside the cruise ship.”
He clarifies that the risk for Europe is low, as there is no evidence of easy transmission of this strain between continents, nor a tendency for widespread spread as with influenza or COVID-19 viruses.
Chantaviruses have been around for thousands of years
He explains that in South America there are certain hadaviruses, called the “New World viruses”. The scientific community knows that the Andean virus is rarely and hardly ever transmitted by humans. Strains found in South America, such as that of Andes, are mainly associated with severe respiratory syndromes and have a higher mortality rate compared to European strains.
“Chantaviruses in Europe and Greece have a different risk and milder clinical picture than those in Latin America, with no human-to-human transmission and causing a different syndrome,” explains Mr. Mayorkinis.
He even stresses that these are known and he does not consider that there is a high risk to public health.
The professor explains that the mortality of Latin American viruses ranges from 10 to 30%. However, as he points out this estimate is considered high because cases with mild symptoms “are probably not diagnosed or recorded, so we are talking about an overestimation.”
The World Health Organization estimates that there are between 10,000 and 100,000 human cases worldwide each year, with severity varying depending on the strain.
“For the chantaviruses found in Europe, mortality is thought to be significantly lower. However, we do not have an accurate estimate. We estimate it to be around 10%,” says Mayorkinis.
He adds that there is no specific treatment or vaccine for chantavirus, while case management is supportive.
Symptoms of infection
In America, the infection can cause cardiopulmonary syndrome, while in Europe it starts with fever, malaise, and at some level starts to affect the kidneys.
Symptoms typically begin one to eight weeks after exposure. The average time to onset of symptoms is about two weeks.
Transmission and prevention measures
Transmission of the virus is mainly associated with contact with biological fluids of infected rodents, such as urine or faeces, which makes it critical to take basic hygiene measures, especially in rural or enclosed areas.
In general, prevention measures involve avoiding contact with rodents, and for this reason, myocide and cleanliness in sanitary premises are very important. The use of gloves and masks when cleaning areas where rodents may be present is a key recommendation.
