Expert briefing on hantavirus following reports of cruise ship outbreak

Three deaths and three additional cases of hantavirus have been reported on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Infectious disease specialist Kostas Konstantinou stated that the risk to Cyprus is zero, as there were no Cypriot passengers on board and no special control measures are required. Hantavirus, first isolated in 1972 near the Hantan River in South Korea, is primarily transmitted through contact with rodent excretions rather than human-to-human contact. Experts note two distinct syndromes: the Eastern strain, causing haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (1-10% mortality), and the American strain, leading to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (30-40% mortality). While cruise ship infections are suspected to have originated from a common source involving contaminated food or environment, no specific treatment exists, necessitating early diagnosis and supportive care. Professor Petros Karayiannis emphasized that the virus is not new and is primarily carried by rats. Public health officials confirm that no cases have been detected in Cyprus to date.