The World Health Organization (WHO) said that it was maintaining its assessment of the hantavirus outbreak as “low risk” as the cruise ship where the outbreak originated approached the Netherlands.
The public health risk has been reassessed with the most current information available, and the global risk remains low, WHO said in a statement.
“While additional cases may still occur among passengers and crew members exposed before containment measures were implemented, the risk of onward transmission is expected to be reduced following disembarkation and the implementation of control measures,” it added.
The MV Hondius cruise ship, where the outbreak originated, is expected to dock in the Dutch port of Rotterdam on Monday morning, according to officials, before disembarking the 27 remaining people on board, which includes 25 crew and two medical staff.
Three people have died since the vessel, with nearly 150 people on board, departed Argentina last month.
Transmission of hantaviruses to humans occurs from contact with contaminated urine, droppings or saliva of infected rodents. Infection may also occur, although less commonly, through rodent bites. According to WHO, person-to-person transmission of the hantavirus is rare.
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