Despite reports of two Indian nationals testing positive on a cruise ship, Dr Naveen Kumar, Director of the ICMR-National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune, stated that hantavirus poses no immediate threat to India's public health. His remarks came after it was reported that two Indian citizens had contracted the illness while on a vacation ship.
There is currently no indication of community transmission, he continued, and the reported instances seem to be isolated.
Humans contract hantaviruses primarily by coming into contact with infected rodents or their bodily fluids, such as saliva, urine, and faeces.
"The reported hantavirus cases appear to be isolated ones, and there is no immediate public health threat to India," Kumar reportedly stated.
The virus is typically acquired by inhaling aerosolised particles in enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces like warehouses, ships, barns, and storage facilities, he added.
His comments followed reports that the virus had been found in two Indian tourists on a cruise ship.
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The passengers were part of a small group of suspected cases found on board, according to the World Health Organisation, and health authorities were tracking down contacts and taking preventative action.
According to the WHO, hantavirus infections are uncommon and mostly associated with rodent exposure rather than long-term human transmission.
In terms of how the virus spreads, Kumar emphasised that it differs greatly from COVID-19. "Human-to-human transmission is extremely uncommon." The majority of hantaviruses do not transmit among people, particularly those found in Asia and Europe. Only certain South American types, like the Andes virus, have been shown to have limited person-to-person transmission, he clarified.
The WHO's Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, called the occurrence "serious" but stated that there is still little wider risk. He stated, "While this is a serious incident, WHO assesses the public health risk as low," but added that further instances might surface during the incubation period.
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