WASHINGTON, D.C., May 9 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Friday said his administration is closely monitoring hantavirus cases but stressed that the situation remains under control and differs significantly from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking to reporters at the White House before departing for a dinner at his golf course in Sterling, Virginia, Trump said officials are studying the virus carefully and emphasized that it is “not easily transferable.”
“No, we seem to have things under very good control. They know that virus very well. It’s been around a long time,” Trump said.
He added, “Not easily transferable, unlike COVID. But we’ll see, we’re studying it very closely. We have very good people studying it very closely.”
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed five cases of hantavirus linked to fatalities aboard a cruise vessel currently navigating the Atlantic Ocean.
In addition to the confirmed cases, three other individuals are suspected of carrying the Andes strain of the virus. Despite the seriousness of the incident, the global health agency said the broader public health risk remains low, although additional infections could emerge.
Addressing a press briefing on Thursday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the United Kingdom had alerted the agency to a cluster of passengers suffering from acute respiratory distress aboard the Dutch-flagged ship Hondius. The vessel is currently traveling from Cape Verde to Tenerife, Spain.
“While this is a serious incident, WHO assesses the public health risk as low,” Ghebreyesus told reporters.
He said eight cases had been identified so far, “including three dead, five confirmed, and three suspected.”
Hantaviruses are typically transmitted to humans through direct contact with infected rodents or their waste. However, the Andes strain identified in the outbreak is unusual because it can spread between humans, though historically transmission has been limited to close or prolonged contact among family members or healthcare workers.
The outbreak timeline began with a male passenger who developed symptoms on April 6 and died five days later.
Tedros said the initial death was not immediately linked to hantavirus because no samples were collected and the symptoms resembled other viral infections. The man’s wife later became the second fatality after falling ill and dying on April 25 in Saint Helena. A third woman died from the virus on May 2, one week after developing symptoms.
Ghebreyesus warned that additional cases could still emerge.
“Given the incubation period of the hantavirus, which can be up to six weeks, it is possible that more cases may be reported,” he said.
Investigations found that the first two victims had participated in a bird-watching expedition across Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay before boarding the cruise ship. Those areas are known habitats for rodents that carry the virus.
In response, Argentine authorities are tracing the couple’s travel route, while Tedros said Argentina is distributing 2,500 diagnostic kits to laboratories in five countries.
The WHO has also issued notifications to 12 countries whose citizens disembarked at Saint Helena, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Germany, and Singapore. (ANI)
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