[HARARE, SciDev.Net] Well being officers say the hantavirus stays a low danger to public well being in Africa regardless of a number of confirmed instances on the continent following an outbreak onboard a global cruise ship.
Three Zimbabweans evacuated from Ascension Island are below quarantine in Harare after potential publicity to the virus, putting Southern Africa’s surveillance programs on alert for a illness hardly ever recorded outdoors South America.
The three, who’re “at present wholesome”, shall be monitored for 45 days in a delegated isolation facility, Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Well being mentioned on social media.
“Hantavirus shouldn’t be transmitted via informal person-to-person contact most often, and all precautionary measures are being applied according to worldwide public well being protocols,” the ministry mentioned in an announcement.
The outbreak is linked to the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius, which sailed from Argentina to Cape Verde earlier than a few of its 147 passengers transited through South Africa.
In an replace on Wednesday (13 Could) the World Well being Group (WHO) mentioned 11 instances, together with three deaths, had been reported, eight of which have been confirmed as hantavirus. Two different instances are possible, and one case stays inconclusive pending additional testing, the WHO mentioned.
South Africa’s Nationwide Institute for Communicable Ailments mentioned a 70-year-old man died on arrival at St Helena island, within the South Atlantic. His 69-year-old spouse collapsed at OR Tambo Worldwide Airport in Johannesburg whereas heading residence to the Netherlands. She was taken to a close-by well being facility however later died, with laboratory exams confirming hantavirus.
A British man who examined constructive after falling in poor health on the ship was remoted at a non-public medical facility in South Africa the place he’s in a vital situation, the institute mentioned.
Well being authorities say they’re working to hint and monitor individuals who might have been in touch with contaminated people to stop unfold of the virus.
The general likelihood of an infection stays low, in line with the WHO, which says transmission happens via shut, extended contact, and might be restricted via early detection, isolation of instances, and phone tracing.
Canaan Tinashe Hodobo, antimicrobial resistance surveillance coordinator at Zimbabwe’s Central Veterinary Laboratory, instructed SciDev.Internet: “At current, there isn’t a proof to counsel that hantavirus is a public well being downside in Zimbabwe or nations inside our area.”
“Hantavirus can also be thought of to have restricted pandemic potential as a result of the virus is mostly not environment friendly at spreading between folks.”
The WHO says the outbreak entails the Andes pressure of hantavirus, a variant discovered primarily in South America and the one one with documented person-to-person transmission. The pressure could cause hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome, a extreme respiratory sickness that may be deadly.
Preliminary investigations counsel publicity might have occurred throughout visits to rodent-infested areas in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay earlier than passengers boarded the vessel.
Hantavirus is primarily unfold via contact with contaminated rodent urine, droppings or saliva. An infection generally happens when contaminated mud particles develop into airborne and are inhaled whereas cleansing enclosed areas or areas with heavy rodent exercise.
Officers urged the general public to cut back publicity to rodents by sealing holes in houses and grain storage amenities, storing meals securely and utilizing protecting tools when cleansing probably contaminated areas.
Strengthening surveillance
The incident has triggered heightened surveillance throughout Africa and elsewhere, plus renewed debate over the continent’s preparedness for rising infectious ailments.
One Well being consultants say the Zimbabwe instances illustrate how illness alerts can quickly unfold cross borders via worldwide journey networks, even when outbreaks originate outdoors the continent.
Public well being consultants say such occasions are more and more testing Africa’s illness surveillance programs, particularly in nations with restricted diagnostic capability and uneven outbreak preparedness infrastructure.
Hodobo says the outbreak demonstrates why nations should proceed investing in preparedness programs earlier than crises emerge. He says Zimbabwe has established coordination constructions and laboratory networks that may help outbreak investigations.
Zimbabwe launched its One Well being Strategic Plan in December 2025, bringing collectively the human well being, animal well being, wildlife and environmental sectors to enhance preparedness for zoonotic ailments equivalent to anthrax, rabies and different rising threats.
In keeping with Hodobo, the nation can also be strengthening frontline surveillance with help from the Pandemic Fund, a world financing mechanism established to enhance preparedness for future outbreaks. The funding is supporting coaching programmes for frontline well being and veterinary personnel, laboratory strengthening and growth of illness surveillance programs.
“Our laboratories proceed to check for precedence zoonotic ailments, and capability is being strengthened via procurement of apparatus that helps automation and superior testing strategies equivalent to genomics,” Hodobo mentioned.
Rodent-borne ailments are significantly tough to observe as a result of rodents are widespread and infrequently reside close to to human populations, permitting infections to flow into undetected earlier than extreme instances emerge.
Spillover
At an Africa Centres for Illness Management and Prevention (Africa CDC) briefing, deputy incident supervisor Yap Boum warned that Africa stays weak to zoonotic ailments due to growing interplay between people and animal environments.
“A big proportion of ailments, about 60 to 70 per cent, are zoonotic and spillover from animals to people,” Boum mentioned.
He added that rodents are related to a number of infectious ailments, together with Lassa fever, reinforcing the necessity for stronger public consciousness and prevention measures.
“The important thing message is how we educate communities on hygiene and sanitation and cut back dangerous interactions with rodents,” Boum mentioned.
Tolbert Nyenswah, Africa CDC’s director for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, mentioned strengthening genomic sequencing capability stays central to bettering outbreak preparedness throughout the continent.
“Genomic sequencing helps establish the pathogen, observe mutations and strengthen surveillance programs,” he mentioned.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Internet’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
