The World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced on Thursday that the hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius is officially over. The declaration came after the final contact of an infected person completed quarantine and tested negative for the virus.
No New Cases Since May 25
“No further cases have been reported since the 25th of May. We're therefore very pleased to say that WHO considers the outbreak of hantavirus over,” Ghebreyesus stated during a news briefing. The total number of confirmed cases from the outbreak remained at 13, including three deaths. More than 650 contacts were identified and monitored across 33 countries and territories.
“Although the outbreak is over, WHO will continue working with governments and partners to advance our understanding of this outbreak and of hantavirus more generally,” Ghebreyesus added. He noted that WHO is coordinating a study involving 21 countries to better understand how the disease develops and to support the development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines for future outbreaks.
Ebola Outbreak in Congo Continues to Expand
Meanwhile, the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo remains a serious concern. “The Ebola outbreak continues to expand with an average of 38 new confirmed cases every day for the past two weeks. As of today, 1406 cases have been confirmed, and 438 people have died,” Ghebreyesus reported.
WHO has strengthened its response, with testing capacity expanded to 10 laboratories and contact tracing improved, with four in five contacts being monitored. Treatment capacity has also increased, with around 650 beds available across 22 health centres. Clinical trials of two therapeutics have begun with the enrollment of the first patient. Additionally, WHO granted emergency use listing to the first molecular diagnostic test for Bundibugyo virus.
“Despite all this progress, we continue to face significant challenges, including mistrust and violence,” Ghebreyesus added.
Earthquake in Venezuela Compounds Humanitarian Crisis
Ghebreyesus also addressed the recent earthquakes in Venezuela, which left 2300 people dead, 5000 injured, and almost 16,000 homeless. WHO dispersed $1.5 million from its contingency fund for emergencies and sent over six metric tonnes of emergency medical supplies, with another 28 metric tonnes due to be shipped in the coming days.
“The earthquake compounds an already severe humanitarian crisis, stretching a health system that was already struggling to meet people's needs,” Ghebreyesus said.
