South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases has identified the Andes variant of hantavirus, which is capable of spreading between humans.
SOUTH AFRICA IDENTIFIES ANDES STRAIN OF HANTAVIRUS
Hantaviruses is a group of viruses carried by rodents that can cause severe disease in humans. The virus is picked up through contact with infected rodents or their urine, droppings or saliva.
How did Hantavirus reach Johannesburg? So it all started with an outbreak of Hantavirus on luxury cruise ship, MV Hondius, that was travelling across the Atlantic Ocean from Argentina to Cape Verde. One of the passengers, who had contacted the Hantavirus, an adult female, travelled on Airlink flight 4Z132 from St. Helena Island to Johannesburg on 25 April 25. A total of three people have died due to the suspected outbreak.
Her health deteriorated on the flight and she died upon arrival at a Johannesburg emergency department. The virus was also confirmed to have been found in another passenger – a 69-year-old British national who was evacuated to a hospital in Johannesburg for intensive care.
Therefore, the virus has touched South African shores. South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases has identified the Andes variant of hantavirus. This variant is a strain capable of rare human-to-human transmission. Andes is the only variant of the virus that is capable of spreading amongst humans.
The Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, affirmed human-to-human transmission is rare and requires close contact. According to an official statement, the committee was also informed that, based on available scientific evidence presented by the department and experts, rodents in South Africa do not carry this strain of hantavirus.
Officials from the department and the NICD said the virus is largely endemic to South America, and there is currently no indication of its presence in local rodent populations.
WHERE IS THE LUXURY CRUISE SHIP NOW?
The vessel which was carrying about 147 passengers remains near Cape Verde, located on the coast of West Africa. The ship will reportedly begin a three-day journey to either Gran Canaria or Tenerife in the Canary Islands once the evacuation is complete, according to Oceanwide Expeditions.
Passengers, crew and expedition staff from 23 different countries are isolating on the Hondius.
Hantavirus is not new. The virus can be found across the world, with infections occurring throughout the year. China, Russia and South Korea report several thousand cases of Hantavirus a year. America, Finland and France also report several hundred cases annually.
HANTAVIRUS SPLIT INTO TWO GROUPS
- Old world – Europe, Asia and Africa
- New world – North, Central and South America
For old world viruses, the mortality rate can be as high as 14 percent. However, in developed nations such as France, fatal cases are extremely rare and mainly affect people with pre-existing health conditions. Some cases are asymptomatic or limited to body aches, an upset stomach and a mild cough. But rare cases can include kidney problems that can develop into acute but reversible renal failure.
The lethality of new world viruses can exceed 40 percent. These cases can rapidly spread to lungs, leading to breathing issues or sometimes heart problems.
