Amid fears of a Hantavirus outbreak, the Director-General of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has announced that he will hold a press conference today at 18:30 (6:30 p.m.) India Standard Time (IST).
"I am hosting a media briefing on #hantavirus today at 15:00h CEST. You can join and watch via @WHO and my social media channels across X, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube," Tedros posted on his official X handle.
ALSO READ | Hantavirus Scare: Swiss Authorities Confirm First Positive Case; What We Know So Far
The development comes a day after WHO and Swiss officials confirmed an Andes hantavirus case tied to the MV Hondius outbreak that has left three passengers dead so far.
Swiss officials had further informed that the general public is not in danger.
The Andes strain, the only one known to propagate among humans, has been identified as the cause of this specific outbreak.
The ship, MV Hondius, a Dutch-operated expedition cruise ship, departed Argentina on April 1 with 147 people on board.
ALSO READ | Evacuated Hantavirus Patients Reach Netherlands as Ship Sails On
Hantaviruses, a class of viruses, are capable of causing fatalities and severe diseases. Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome are two illnesses brought on by these viruses.
A class of rodent-borne viruses known as hantaviruses can cause uncommon but serious renal and respiratory illnesses in people.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.