WHO says hantavirus cruise outbreak serious but not COVID-like

GENEVA (AN) — World Health Organization officials said a hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship does not pose a pandemic-level threat, despite international contact tracing efforts following three deaths and multiple confirmed infections aboard the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius.

Health authorities are tracing passengers who disembarked before the outbreak was identified, as well as close contacts across several countries, after the cruise ship reported infections tied to the Andes strain of hantavirus — the only known hantavirus capable of limited person-to-person transmission.

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