The World Health Organization (WHO) says the hantavirus involved in a recent cruise ship outbreak is most infectious at the beginning of symptoms. WHO officials made the assessment public as nearly 150 people who were onboard the Dutch-flagged vessel MV Hondius when it arrived near Tenerife for disembarkation are asked to remain in quarantine for six weeks. WHO describes this timing as important for limiting potential spread, noting that the “first few moments of illness” carry the highest infectiousness.
The cruise ship incident has prompted international concern about whether the virus could transmit between people. WHO links the recommended six-week quarantine to the maximum incubation period for the Andes virus, the only known hantavirus strain associated with human-to-human spread. WHO adds that, on average, symptoms develop after about three weeks, though timing can vary.
Reporting from Turkey, Malaysia, and South Korea also notes that the outbreak has caused three deaths and that evacuees are returning to their home countries.
