WHO downplays hantavirus pandemic risk

GENEVA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 10th May, 2026) The World Health Organisation (WHO) has cautioned against overestimating the risks associated with the hanta virus, emphasising that it does not represent the start of a new pandemic and does not spread in the same manner as COVID-19.

During a press conference in Geneva, Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s acting director for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, stated that most hantaviruses are not transmitted between humans.

She noted that the public health risk remains low globally and specifically in the Canary Islands, where the cruise ship MV Hondius is currently headed.

The WHO clarified that the current outbreak is linked to the Andes virus, which is the only known strain capable of limited human-to-human transmission through close and prolonged contact, particularly in confined indoor spaces.

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The organisation confirmed that the risk remains primarily confined to the passengers of the vessel.

Precautionary measures currently in place include the isolation of infected individuals, disinfection of cabins, and the deployment of a health expert to the ship along with thousands of diagnostic kits.

To date, the WHO has recorded eight cases linked to the ship, including three fatalities, while the overall public health risk assessment remains low.