Hantavirus cruise outbreak: 5 critical facts you need to know
5. There is no vaccine or specific cure for the Andes virus
There is no vaccine or antiviral treatment for the Andes virus. Doctors can only provide supportive medical care while trying to keep patients alive long enough for their bodies to fight the infection.
The virus can become deadly because of the way it attacks the lungs and cardiovascular system. Patients often begin with symptoms resembling ordinary flu, including fever, fatigue, muscle aches and dizziness. In severe cases, however, the condition can rapidly deteriorate into breathing difficulty, pneumonia and cardiovascular collapse.
Scott Weaver, a hantavirus researcher at the University of Texas Medical Branch, told WIRED that the blood vessels begin leaking fluid into the lungs, making breathing progressively more difficult even with medical intervention.
The WHO says early intensive care is critical for survival. Treatment mainly involves monitoring breathing, managing fluid levels carefully and providing oxygen support or intensive respiratory care when necessary.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director general, said health authorities believed the outbreak would remain limited if containment measures were implemented.
The outbreak has renewed concerns about global preparedness for infectious disease emergencies. All full-time employees in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vessel Sanitation Program had reportedly been laid off last year, MIT Technology Review noted. Public health experts fear such reductions could weaken preparedness for future outbreaks involving international cruise passengers.
WHO officials said no new symptomatic cases had been identified on board, which they described as an encouraging sign despite the virus’s long incubation period.
