In response to international information related to the cluster of cases of Hanta virus recorded on the international cruise ship MV Hondius, on May 13, the Department of Disease Prevention (Ministry of Health) updated additional information from the World Health Organization (WHO), and at the same time advised people to proactively implement disease prevention measures and not be panicked by unverified information.
According to the latest public announcement from WHO, a cluster of cases on the ship MV Hondius recorded 8 cases, including 3 deaths. There are 6 cases tested to be infected with the Hanta virus, all belonging to the Andes (ANDV) strain.
WHO assesses the risk of infection for passengers and crew on board at an average level, while the risk for the global community is low. WHO also emphasized that the transmission mechanism of the Hanta virus is different from COVID-19 and continues to closely monitor epidemiological developments to update risk assessments.
Regarding the source of infection, WHO said that the investigation is still ongoing. According to the initial hypothesis of experts, the first case may have been infected with the virus during exposure to the environment or carrier rats when participating in outdoor tourism activities before boarding. Then, limited human-to-human transmission may have occurred on the ship through close and prolonged contact.
WHO recommends that people not speculate on the causes of infection from ships, food, drinking water or other factors when there are no official investigation conclusions.
In the context of the current cluster of cases, WHO recommends that people on trains and related flights monitor their health for 42 days from the last exposure. Symptoms to note include headache, dizziness, chills, fever, muscle pain and digestive disorders such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain; and need to clean hands regularly.
For high-risk exposure groups, WHO recommends proactive monitoring and isolation at home or in a suitable facility for 42 days after the last exposure. For low-risk exposure groups, WHO does not recommend isolation but only requires self-monitoring of health and going to a medical facility when symptoms appear.
According to the Department of Disease Prevention, to date, Vietnam has not recorded citizens related to the above cluster of cases. The Ministry of Health has issued a document requesting localities to strengthen supervision at border gates and medical examination and treatment facilities; implement sanitation and disinfection of vehicles; handle vectoring, kill rats and proactively implement appropriate epidemic prevention and control measures.
The Department of Disease Prevention said that Hanta virus disease is not a completely new issue in epidemiological surveillance in Vietnam. However, through reviewing existing scientific data, Vietnam has not recorded any cases of Andes strain disease. Some previous studies mainly recorded evidence related to other Hanta virus strains such as Seoul virus or strains detected in animals.
Faced with this situation, the Ministry of Health recommends that people not panic, need to monitor information from official sources and not deduce the cluster of cases on international cruise ships as a risk of widespread epidemic in the community in Vietnam.
People are advised to continue to maintain environmental hygiene, implement rat prevention measures to limit the risk of diseases transmitted from rats to humans. In case after contact with rats, rat waste or areas with rat traces and symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, fatigue, digestive disorders, cough, chest tightness or shortness of breath appear, they need to go to a medical facility in a timely manner and notify contact history for advice, diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
The Department of Disease Prevention said that it will continue to coordinate with WHO and relevant agencies to update the situation, assess risks and implement appropriate response measures, and promptly inform people when there are new developments.
