Hantavirus in India? Health Ministry activates precautionary surveillance measures; check what is Andes virus, signs, symptoms and prevention tips

In a recent update on Hantavirus, the Union Health Ministry has activated precautionary surveillance measures after a few cases of the infection were reported aboard the expedition cruise vessel MV Hondius. India took this crucial step after multiple hantavirus infections and three deaths were reported aboard the Dutch cruise ship.

According to the official information shared through the World Health Organization (WHO) under the International Health Regulations (IHR) framework, a total of eight probable cases have been reported onboard the ship so far. Among these, five are laboratory-confirmed infections and three deaths. There are two Indian crew members on board the cruise ship MV Hondius, which has seen a hantavirus outbreak.

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The ship with the deadly hantavirus outbreak arrived in Spain's Canary Islands on Sunday. As many as 150 people will be evacuated from the ship and flown home after weeks at sea. Health experts have raised concerns after the only hantavirus type that can transmit from person to person, known as the Andes virus, was confirmed among those who tested positive for the infection.

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Hantavirus in India?

Experts have said there is no immediate concern as sporadic cases of Hantavirus have been reported in India earlier. As of now, no hantavirus cases have been reported in India but health experts have advised caution.

“In cardiopulmonary hantavirus disease, mortality can reach 30-50%. However, unlike Covid-19, it is not highly contagious,” Dr GC Khilnani, chairman, PSRI Institute of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, told Times of India.

Dr N K Ganguly, chairperson, department of biotechnology and research at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said India’s healthcare system was better prepared after Covid-19, with hospitals capable of detecting hantavirus through testing panels.

What is Andes hantavirus?

According to CDC, Andes virus is a type of hantavirus that can cause a severe respiratory disease in people, called Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS). The virus can spread through contact with rodents, by touching an object with the virus on it, or, rarely, through contact with a sick person who has the virus.

The strain in the cruise ship outbreak is believed to be the Andes virus, a hantavirus found in South America. WHO says the Andes strain is scientifically significant as it is the only hantavirus with documented evidence of limited human-to-human transmission, usually occurring only after close and prolonged contact.

Unlike respiratory infections such as COVID-19 or influenza, hantavirus does not spread through casual or brief exposure. WHO infectious disease epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove recently clarified that “this is not Covid; this is not influenza; it spreads very, very differently.”

Hantavirus: What is it and what are its signs?

According to WHO, hantaviruses are a group of rodent-borne viruses that can severely infect humans. Humans can get the infection via rodent’s urine, saliva, or droppings. The infection can lead to hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS).

Symptoms may begin between one and eight weeks after exposure and can include:

Fever

Muscle aches

Headache

Nausea and abdominal discomfort

Cough and breathing difficulty in severe cases

As of now, there is no licensed vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for hantavirus.

How to prevent from Hantavirus?

Avoid areas infested with rodents while visiting countries in South America.

Avoid spread between people by:

Washing hands frequently

Avoiding kissing and sexual contact with someone who may have Andes virus

Avoid sharing drinks, cigarettes, hookah, and vapes with someone who may have Andes virus

Avoid sharing eating utensils or eating food from the same plate or bowl as someone who may have Andes virus

Maintaining distance from someone who may have Andes virus

Latest update on Hantavirus

Three passengers from the ship -- a Dutch husband and wife and a German woman -- have died, while others have fallen sick with the rare disease, which usually spreads among rodents. "We classify everybody on board as what we call a high-risk contact," WHO's epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention director Maria Van Kerkhove said Saturday. But the risk to the general public and the people of the Canaries remained low, she added.

(With agency inputs)