ZERO RISK OF A HANTAVIRUS CASE IN CYPRUS - THERE IS NO NEED TO WORRY. 'SUCH AN INCIDENT HAS NEVER BEEN DETECTED OR DIAGNOSED' - Filenews 5/5
In Cyprus there is no reason to worry about a possible case of hantavirus, as "such an incident has never been detected or diagnosed, nor a clinical picture, that refers to the disease", said the infectious disease specialist of the Infectious Diseases Unit of the Nicosia General Hospital and member of the Infectious Diseases Surveillance and Control Unit of the Ministry of Health, Costas Constantinou.
Speaking on the occasion of the three fatal incidents and three more cases linked to a possible hantavirus epidemic on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, Mr. Constantinou emphasizes that the risk for Cyprus is "zero", noting that there were no passengers from Cyprus on this ship and that control measures at ports or airports are not justified.
As he explained, hantavirus is a group of viruses that cause two different clinical syndromes, with different severity and epidemiological picture in America and Europe, while transmission occurs mainly through contact with rodent secretions and not from person to person, with few exceptions.
Specifically, he said that this is a group of viruses that cause two different clinical syndromes, Pulmonary Hantavirus Syndrome (HPS), which occurs more often in America and has a high mortality rate of 30 to 40%, and Haemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS), which is mainly found in Europe and is milder with a mortality rate of 1 to 10%.
According to Costas Konstantinou, there is no specific treatment available and treatment is based on early diagnosis and supportive treatment.
He underlined that there is no human-to-human transmission, except in rare cases of a specific South American virus, while transmission occurs mainly through inhalation of aerosols from rodent secretions.
Answering a relevant question, he said that sporadic incidents have been recorded in Northern Greece, with a small cluster in 2012.
Regarding the cruise ship, he noted that it comes from South America and this virus has not yet been identified, leaving open the possibility of passengers being exposed during the trip or before departure.
No Cypriots on the cruise ship
Regarding Cyprus, Mr. Constantinou clarified that there were no Cypriot passengers on the ship, while noting that special control measures at ports or airports are not considered necessary.
He also said that the Cypriot health system has a treatment plan for haemorrhagic fevers and the Infectious Diseases Unit of the Nicosia General Hospital is ready to manage a possible incident, if it is diagnosed.
Finally, he recommended that travellers be informed about the health conditions of their destinations and take the prescribed precautions before their trip.
CNA
