Against the backdrop of the situation involving the cruise ship MV Hondius, the number of hantavirus infection cases has reached nine.
This was reported by Olivier Le Polain, Head of the Epidemiology and Analytics Department at the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to him, out of the nine recorded cases, seven have been laboratory confirmed. Three of the infected patients have died.
The WHO representative noted that hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome is a severe respiratory disease that affects the heart and lungs, develops rapidly, and can have a mortality rate of up to 50%.
Experts say the disease is caused by around 20 different types of hantaviruses and is mainly found in North and South America. Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome is another form of the virus that affects blood vessels and kidneys.
Symptoms may appear 1–8 weeks after infection, depending on the virus type. The main signs include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, gastrointestinal disorders, abdominal pain, headache, and muscle aches.
It is noted that the Andes virus was first identified in 1995, and its primary natural carrier is the long-tailed rice rat.
