On Thursday, European Commission spokeswoman Eva Hrnczirzova announced that the EU health security committee had already met on Wednesday and would continue its talks this afternoon. Poland is represented in this body, which brings together representatives of all EU member states, by Chief Sanitary Inspector Paweł Grzesiowski. Earlier, the committee met with representatives of the Netherlands and Spain.
This is the first person with symptoms of hantavirus infection who was not on the ship. She went to hospital
The MV Hondius cruise ship is heading to the Canary Islands, where the evacuation of passengers is planned. The cruise set off three weeks ago from Ushuaia in southern Argentina with 150 people on board. So far, three passengers on the ship have died: a Dutch couple and one German citizen.
The Dutch Ministry of Health confirmed that a person with symptoms of hantavirus presented to a hospital in Amsterdam on Thursday. It is said to be a KLM airline stewardess who had contact with the infected passenger of the ship. She is therefore the first person with symptoms of hantavirus who did not travel on a Dutch cruise ship. According to the Dutch authorities, during a stop on the island of St. Helena, which occurred before the outbreak was reported, 40 passengers left the ship.
The European Commission calms down regarding the hantavirus. “The risk is low”
European Commission spokeswoman Eva Hrnczirzova reassures us.
According to the data we have at the moment, the risk for Europeans is low. There is no reason for concern for now, but we are monitoring the situation and do not underestimate the threat
– she said on Thursday.
A similar statement was issued by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on Wednesday. Its representatives noted that the risk of widespread spread of hantavirus in Europe would probably remain low. The arguments they gave included: that infection requires close and long-term contact with an infected person.
