Health officials in the Cayman Islands are monitoring the global Hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius, confirming that local risk remains minimal.

(CNS): Two new suspected cases of hantavirus are under investigation in New Jersey, where people who were on a plane with someone who was a passenger on the MV Hondius, a Dutch cruise ship now experiencing a deadly outbreak.. Concerns are mounting around the world and locally about the broader risks, but the Chief Medical Officer Dr Hilary Wolf has said the overall public health risk to people in the Cayman Islands remains very low

and there are currently no confirmed cases here.. “At this time, we have not been alerted to any passengers from the vessel, or individuals identified as close contacts of known cases, being residents of the Cayman Islands,” she said in a press release.. “We continue to monitor information provided through the World Health Organization and international health partners while maintaining heightened vessel surveillance and established public health monitoring protocols.” The expedition cruise ship is currently

still in the Atlantic heading towards the Canary Islands.. The MV Hondius left Argentina on 1 April carrying 149 passengers and crew from 23 countries on a voyage to Antarctica.. International epidemiological investigations are underway onboard the vessel, and individuals who have already disembarked are undergoing contact tracing and monitoring by international public health authorities.. But that has proved difficult as those who departed have spread around the world.. The virus, carried primarily by rodents,

likely originated in Argentina before passengers even boarded, as it is endemic in Argentina, but it does not normally spread easily from human to human.. “While certain strains, such as Andes virus, have been associated with limited person-to-person transmission, this has only been evidenced through prolonged close contact, unlike the routine spread patterns seen with more common respiratory illnesses,” Medical Officer of Health Dr Samuel Williams said.. Despite the low risk, enhanced surveillance and prevention

measures are currently being implemented locally.. Rodent control activities have been increased at shipping ports of entry, and the use of rat guards remains mandatory for all vessels docking alongside ports and shore facilities.. As part of established maritime health protocols, all cruise vessels are required to submit Maritime Declarations of Health 48 hours prior to arrival in the Cayman Islands.. These declarations are reviewed by port surveillance and border control officials, with additional follow-up

and onboard inspections conducted where necessary, including reviews of medical logs and illness reporting records.. Public health and port health officials are also maintaining heightened monitoring of illness reports as well as requests for medical disembarkation.. “The Cayman Islands has established a strong reputation within the cruise industry for proactive infection control and maritime public health oversight,” said Department of Environmental Health (DEH) Director Richard Simms.. “We have increased rodent control measures, enhanced monitoring protocols

and continue to maintain strict maritime public health safeguards at ports of entry.” Cayman also gets information from the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) about all public health threats associated with maritime travel.. The health ministry is advising anyone travelling to countries where hantavirus is endemic to avoid exposure to rodents, droppings and potentially contaminated environments, particularly in rural settings.. The main concern being expressed by the public across many social media platforms is the

human-to-human transmission that may have occurred on flights and other forms of transport when the passengers who disembarked the boat last month travelled back home and were in close proximity to their fellow travellers, as appears to be the situation with the suspected cases in New Jersey.. Despite the public concern, international health authorities have not yet advised any changes to routine travel or cruise operations.

Hantavirus, Cayman Islands, MV Hondius, public health, cruise ship outbreak, infectious disease