Italy puts four under observation after Hantavirus flight contact

The deceased woman, who had been on board the MV Hondius, briefly boarded the same aircraft before being removed due to her medical condition. She was later hospitalised in Johannesburg, where she died. Italian authorities obtained contact details for the four passengers - located in Calabria, Campania, Tuscany and Veneto - and instructed regional health units to monitor them for six weeks, the maximum known incubation period of the virus. None of the four individuals has displayed symptoms. The measures are precautionary, in line with standard contact-tracing protocols. On Monday the Italian health ministry said it is preparing a set of hantavirus guidelines but stressed that the risk associated with the new virus remains low. International assessments from both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) indicate that the risk to the general population remains low globally, and very low in Europe. The Andes virus, the strain behind the MV Hondius outbreak, is the only known hantavirus capable of spreading between humans, and even then only through prolonged, close contact with a symptomatic person. An Italian physician from the ECDC has been on board the MV Hondius since last week to support medical operations, reflecting Italy's active role in the European health response. As of Saturday, the WHO recorded eight suspected cases linked to the ship, including six confirmed, and three deaths. The vessel docked in Tenerife on Sunday, where passengers began disembarking for repatriation to their home countries.