The outbreak recently detected on the cruise ship MV Hondius has raised questions about the transmission mechanisms of Hantavirus in specific environments, especially with the comparison of Covid-19. However, the Minister of Health Mónica García emphasizes that the nature of the space where the outbreak occurred is decisive in understanding the speed and scope of the infections. registered among those affected.
The key to this spread lies in the fact that patients “They had been living together for weeks in a closed and reduced space such as the cabins and common areas of a ship.“. According to the official explanation of the Minister of Health, in this environment “The exposure conditions are very different from those of daily life on land.”
Likewise, preliminary investigations suggest that the infection was not an isolated event, but rather linked to a shared moment. The authorities point out that “Everything indicates that some of the infections occurred during a specific activity that they carried out together”a scene where “exposure to the virus probably occurred” before the onset of symptoms.
The factor of close contact in the transmission of the virus
Despite the initial alarm, specialists maintain a “low risk” assessment for the general population. This is because “Transmission between humans of this type of hantavirus is not easy“and requires very particular environmental circumstances to be produced effectively.
Current scientific evidence indicates that the “documented cases of interpersonal contagion occur in contexts of very close contact“. This interaction must also be “prolonged and continuous for days, as can happen precisely on a boat for weeks“, limiting the possibility of a widespread community outbreak.
