UAE Officials: We are 'Fully Prepared' to Combat Hantavirus and Other Health Threats

The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) and the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) of the UAE announced in a joint statement:

"Officials are continuously monitoring the situation, and all actions are being taken with the aim of protecting the community and maintaining the highest level of preparedness."

These authorities emphasized that the health preparedness and monitoring processes in the country are continuously reviewed and updated based on the best international standards and guidelines to ensure the highest level of public safety and health security.

UAE health officials stressed that the country has an integrated health monitoring and surveillance system and is fully prepared to address any potential public health threats.

People were also urged to follow health-related information only from official sources and to refrain from spreading rumors or unverified news.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has described hantavirus as a 'low-risk' virus in terms of its potential to become a global pandemic; as human-to-human transmission is very limited and most cases of infection arise from direct contact with rodents or environments contaminated with their droppings.

WHO has also stated that the current situation shows no signs of the risk of a pandemic similar to COVID-19.

Since the onset of the recent outbreak of this virus, three people, including a Dutch couple and a German citizen, have lost their lives.

International medical officials are working to control an outbreak that has occurred on the luxury cruise ship 'MV Hondius'.

WHO has confirmed 9 cases of infection so far and has called for the quarantine of suspected individuals. The organization has warned that due to the long incubation period of the virus, more cases may be identified, but emphasized that this situation is not a 'pandemic' and does not resemble the COVID-19 crisis.

Although hantavirus can be deadly, it does not easily spread from person to person.

The MV Hondius was carrying 147 passengers and crew from 23 different countries at the time of the incident. The first cases of severe respiratory illness among passengers were reported to WHO on May 2.

By that time, 34 other passengers had disembarked from the ship in the Atlantic Ocean islands before the official outbreak announcement, and the ship then headed towards Cape Verde.

The first case was identified by doctors in Johannesburg on May 2, when a British man who had disembarked from the ship was treated. This occurred about three weeks after the death of the first passenger, a Dutch man.

This luxury ship set sail towards the Canary Islands on May 6 after Madrid agreed to WHO's request to manage the evacuation operations.

WHO has recommended a 42-day quarantine for all passengers.

“Gianfranco Spiteri,” head of the emergency department at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, told Reuters:

“People should remain calm; the situation is under control.”

He added:

“We know this virus, we can prevent further transmission, and we do not expect a new pandemic.”

Source: Gulf Times