The spokesperson for the World Health Organization, Christian Lindmeier, has insisted that hantavirus presents limited human-to-human transmission and that, consequently, the current risk to the general population remains low, ruling out a scenario comparable to that of COVID-19.
In a WHO press conference held in Geneva (Switzerland), Lindmeier pointed out that the organization is analyzing all available information on hantavirus, emphasizing that the data must be carefully verified and contrasted before drawing conclusions.
The spokesperson indicated that hantaviruses have been known for about 30 years and that, globally, around 2,000 cases are registered each year, according to the data handled by the organization.
He explained that this virus can cause lung infections and respiratory difficulties, which manifest through symptoms such as cough, sneezing, and, in some cases, fever. According to the expert, close contact, including the exchange of bodily fluids, is considered an element that increases the risk of contagion.
However, he has stressed that not all people who shared a cabin on the cruise ship related to the outbreak appear to have been infected. As an example, he mentioned the case of the Dutch flight attendant who attended to the sick woman in Johannesburg (South Africa), shortly before her death, and who has tested negative for hantavirus.