WHO Hantavirus risk remains low until now

The World Health Organization has kept its assessment of the risk of a "Hantavirus" outbreak at a "low risk" level, despite the continued health monitoring of the cruise ship associated with the emergence of infections and its approach to the Dutch port of Rotterdam.

The organization said, in a statement, that "the public health risk was reassessed based on the latest available information, and the global risk remains low." It added that "although additional cases may appear among passengers and crew members who were exposed to the virus before containment measures were implemented, the risk of subsequent transmission is expected to decrease after passengers are disembarked and preventive measures are applied."

The ship "MV Hondius", owned by the Dutch company "Oceanwide Expeditions", is scheduled to arrive at the port of Rotterdam this Monday morning, with only 27 people on board, including 25 crew members and two medical staff members.

The ship had drawn global attention after three passengers died from "Hantavirus", which is a rare virus for which no vaccines or specific treatments are available yet.

The incident prompted international health authorities to closely monitor the situation, with the implementation of isolation and health surveillance measures on board the ship since the discovery of the infections.