Poland sees first quarantine case amid hantavirus concern — media
Poland places the first individual under monitoring over the hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship (photo: wikipedia.org)
Polish health authorities have introduced sanitary monitoring for a person who may have been in contact with a passenger from the cruise ship MV Hondius, where a deadly hantavirus outbreak was recorded, according to RMF24.
Monitored person's condition
The Chief Sanitary Inspectorate of Poland notes that the individual under monitoring currently shows no symptoms of illness. Health officials will monitor their condition for seven days.
Sanitary services have also begun tracing other people who may have come into contact with passengers from the ship after they disembarked.
It is known that a Polish citizen, the ship captain, is on board the vessel, which is currently heading toward the Canary Islands.
Fatal cases on board
Three people have already died on the cruise ship due to the infection: a couple from the Netherlands and a German citizen.
Several other passengers are also suspected of having been infected, including individuals who disembarked on the Saint Helena and Tristan da Cunha islands in late April.
Hantavirus: What we know so far
Hantaviruses are zoonotic infections transmitted to humans from rodents (such as mice, rats, and voles).
Infection occurs through inhalation of air contaminated with particles from infected animals or through contact with broken skin.
According to the WHO, between 10,000 and 100,000 cases are reported each year globally. In Europe, the virus most commonly causes hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome.
Evolving hantavirus outbreak situation
Earlier, reports emerged that all passengers aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius were considered contacts of infected individuals, meaning everyone on board is subject to mandatory screening.
On the morning of May 10, the cruise ship arrived at the port of Tenerife in Spain. Medical teams immediately boarded the vessel to hold final health inspections, the results of which will determine whether passengers are allowed to disembark.
In addition, due to the risk of an outbreak, the UK carried out its first-ever airborne deployment of military medics to the remote Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha.
The emergency operation was launched to assist a British citizen who had previously been on board and was showing symptoms consistent with the potentially fatal hantavirus infection.
This material is for informational purposes only and should not be used for medical diagnosis or self-treatment. Our goal is to provide readers with accurate information about symptoms, causes, and methods of detecting diseases. RBС-Ukraine is not responsible for any diagnoses that readers may make based on materials from the resource. We do not recommend self-treatment and advise consulting a doctor in case of any health concerns.
