The type of the cruise virus is the Andes virus. The World Health Organization: The risk of causing a broader public health threat remains low

The World Health Organization (WHO) stated that the outbreak on the Hydroides cruise ship involved the Andes virus strain of the hantavirus. The risk of a broader public health impact from this outbreak remains relatively low.

Xinhua News Agency reported that on Thursday (May 7th), the World Health Organization held a press conference regarding the recent Hantavirus outbreak on the Hydrides cruise ship, and announced that a total of eight cases have been reported so far.

The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said at the meeting that among the eight reported cases, five have been confirmed as having hantavirus infection, and three are suspected cases.

Tedros said that the type of hantavirus involved in this round of the epidemic is the Andes virus. This virus was discovered in Latin America and is the only type of hantavirus known to be capable of limited transmission between humans.

In previous Andes virus outbreaks, its human-to-human transmission was associated with close or prolonged contact, especially among family members, intimate partners, and healthcare providers. "As of now, it seems to be the case."

Tandeces revealed that the two earliest reported cases had traveled to Argentina, Chile and Uruguay for a bird-watching trip, during which they also visited areas where rodents carrying the Andes virus were known to be present.

The World Health Organization is collaborating with the Argentine health authorities to track down the whereabouts of this couple and arrange for the shipment of 2,500 sets of virus test kits from Argentina to laboratories in five countries.

Tedros said that given the incubation period of the Andes virus can be as long as six weeks, more cases may be reported in the future. He also emphasized that although this is a serious epidemic event, the World Health Organization's assessment indicates that the risk to public health remains relatively low.

It is reported that the World Health Organization is working with multiple governments and partners to address the epidemic. Tedros said, "Our top priority is to ensure that affected patients receive treatment, to guarantee the safety and dignity of other passengers on the ship, and to prevent the further spread of the virus."

Tandeces expressed his gratitude to the Spanish government. Currently, the infected cruise ship is sailing towards the Canary Islands of Spain for decontamination and quarantine.