WHO Director-General Ghebreyesus: We are close to ending the hantavirus outbreak

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus shared the latest developments regarding the hantavirus outbreak on the passenger ship 'MV Hondius' via his social media account. Indicating that the outbreak is nearing its end, Ghebreyesus reported that a large part of the ship's captain and crew have completed the quarantine process.

Ghebreyesus stated that more than 600 contacts of the infected individuals in 33 countries and regions have been monitored, noting that over 80% of these contacts have completed the 42-day follow-up period. Highlighting that the increase in cases has stopped, Ghebreyesus commented, “The number of cases has remained stable at 13, including 3 deaths. We are close to ending this outbreak.”

In his statement, Ghebreyesus also thanked Captain Jan Dobrogowski and the ship's crew for their leadership in ensuring the safety of passengers. The WHO Director-General also expressed gratitude to Spain, the Netherlands, Cape Verde, South Africa, and the United Kingdom for their roles in responding to the outbreak.