A passenger on the cruise ship, infected with a strain of Hantavirus transmissible from person to person. WHO considers the global risk of infection to be low.

The South African Minister of Health, Aaron Motsoaledi, announced before a parliamentary committee that the hantavirus strain detected in a passenger evacuated from a cruise ship is the Andean strain, which can be transmitted between humans.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed that the risk of infection for the global population is low, although the strain originates from the Andes virus, known for limited human-to-human transmission in previous outbreaks.

The hantavirus, carried by rodents, is transmitted through inhalation of particles from their droppings. Hantavirus infections can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), both having severe symptoms and high mortality rates. There is no specific treatment, and supportive care is essential for patients with severe symptoms.