Four (4) passengers have been placed under preventive quarantine for possible infection with hantavirus in Italy. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization appears reassured about the transmission of hantavirus.

According to Italy’s health ministry, four citizens have been placed under health surveillance in the regions of Calabria, Tuscany, Veneto and Campania, with Naples as the capital.

These were passengers who had travelled on the same KLM airline flight and had previously been in contact with a woman who had travelled on the cruise ship Mv Hondius and she eventually died of hantavirus.

Note that the cruise ship passenger who died only remained on board for a few minutes and then disembarked, which reportedly reduced the risk of transmitting the virus. “The four Italian citizens have not shown any symptoms and the decision to activate health surveillance is of a precautionary nature,” Italy’s health ministry informs. Recall that the hadavirus is transmitted by urine of an infected mouse and has an eight-week incubation period in the human body when it comes into close contact with an infected human.

World Health Organization: Hantavirus is not COVID-19

In a statement, World Health Organization (WHO) head Tedros Adhanom Gebreysus clarified that “Hantavirus is not another case of COVID-19“. “The current public health risk from the chantavirus remains low,” he stressed.

“The virus found in MV Hondius is the Andean strain of the Hantavirus. It is serious,” the World Health Organization chief noted. “Three people have died and our condolences go to their families,” he added.

“The risk to you, who live your daily lives in Tenerife, is low. This is the WHO’s assessment and we do not take it lightly,” said Tedros Adhanom Gebreysus, addressing residents of the Canary Islands cluster.

“Right now, there are no passengers with symptoms on board. A WHO expert is on board the ship. There are medical supplies. The Spanish authorities have drawn up a careful, step-by-step plan: the passengers will be taken ashore to the industrial port of Granadilla, away from populated areas, in sealed, guarded vehicles, through a fully cordoned-off corridor, and repatriated directly to their countries of origin. You will not meet them. Your families will not meet them,” concluded the message from the head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Gebreysus.