Madrid, May 26 (IANS). Spain’s Health Ministry has confirmed a new positive case of Hantavirus infection in 14 Spanish citizens. The citizens were among the passengers on the MV Hondius cruise ship, which was hit by an outbreak of the disease while transiting the Atlantic Ocean in April.
The 14 Spanish nationals on board were evacuated from the island of Tenerife on May 10 in a highly monitored operation and have since been in precautionary quarantine at the Gómez Ulla Central Defense Hospital in Madrid.
According to the ministry, this new positive case was detected during a routine PCR test conducted under the isolation and control system already in place.
The ministry said that the patient is not showing any symptoms at present. He has been shifted to the High-Level Isolation Unit (UATAN) of the hospital, where he is under special medical monitoring and strict biosafety protocols.
The ministry further said that the detection of this new case does not change the level of risk to the general public, nor does it change the pandemic-related response measures currently in place.
According to the report of Xinhua news agency, this is the second Spanish citizen to be found positive after reaching Madrid. At the same time, it has been told about the first patient that his health is improving well after the symptoms appeared.
According to WHO, hantaviruses are zoonotic viruses that naturally infect rodents and sometimes spread to humans. Infection in humans can cause serious illness and in many cases it can even prove fatal. However, symptoms and effects of the disease vary depending on the type of virus and geographic region.
It has been seen in the US that infection can cause Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS). This is a serious condition, which progresses rapidly and affects the lungs and heart. At the same time, in Europe and Asia, cases of Hantavirus causing Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS), which mainly affects the kidneys and blood vessels, have been reported.
Although there is no specific cure for diseases caused by hantavirus, early supportive medical care plays an important role in improving a patient’s chances of survival. Its main emphasis is on close clinical monitoring of the patient and management of respiratory, cardiac and renal complications. Prevention of this disease largely depends on reducing contact between people and infected rodents.
–IANS
PSK/AS