Indians on Dutch cruise hantavirus suspect list; No threat in India now, says NIV chief

After it was revealed that two Indians were part of the crew of the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius, which experienced a hantavirus outbreak, concerns have been rising over whether the country needs to be worried.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said the two Indians were part of a small cluster of suspected infections on the vessel, and that authorities were monitoring them and taking precautions. Meanwhile, Director of ICMR's National Institute of Virology, Dr Naveen Kumar said there was currently no public health threat to India. He also said there was no evidence of community spread. The WHO had also said that the outbreak need not be considered the start of a pandemic.

Early diagnosis challenging
Public health experts say hantavirus infections can initially resemble influenza, dengue or severe respiratory illness, making early diagnosis challenging. On India's preparedness, Kumar said the country had adequate laboratory surveillance capacity to identify suspected cases.

"India has diagnostic capacity for hantavirus infection through the ICMR-National Institute of Virology and the nationwide Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory Network of 165 labs, where RT-PCR facilities are available for confirmation of suspected cases," he said.

How hantavirus spreads
Hantaviruses are mainly transmitted to humans through contact with infected rodents or their excreta, such as saliva, urine and faeces, he told PTI.

How people get infected with hantavirus
People usually get infected by inhaling aerosolised virus particles from rodent urine, droppings, or saliva in closed or poorly ventilated spaces such as warehouses, ships, barns and storage areas. 

Not like COVID
WHO officials noted that hantavirus infections were rare and generally linked to rodent exposure rather than sustained human transmission. Kumar stressed that, unlike COVID-19, hantavirus did not spread easily among people.

Low public health risk
"Human-to-human transmission is extremely uncommon. Most hantaviruses, especially those reported in Asia and Europe, do not spread between humans. Limited person-to-person transmission has only been documented with some South American strains such as Andes virus," he explained.

WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who briefed the media on the virus, said "while this is a serious incident, WHO assesses the publich health risk as low". Given the incubation period, he said, "it is possible that more cases may be reported".

When symptoms appear
According to Kumar, symptoms generally appear one to five weeks after exposure and initially resemble flu-like illness.

"Common warning signs include sudden fever, severe body ache, headache, fatigue, chills, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and dry cough," he said.

"In severe cases, patients may develop breathing difficulty, low blood pressure, or kidney involvement with reduced urine output," he added.

Precautions to be taken
The NIV director advised people working or travelling in rodent-prone environments, such as ships, warehouses, storage facilities and poorly ventilated spaces, to maintain hygiene and avoid exposure to rodent-infested areas. Kumar also cautioned that environmental changes could increase the long-term risk of rodent-borne diseases globally, including in India.

"Climate change, flooding, unplanned urbanisation, poor waste management and increased human encroachment into rodent habitats can raise the risk of rodent-borne infections," he said.

"Heavy rainfall and floods often increase rodent population movement into human dwellings and storage areas, increasing exposure risk. Rapid urban growth with poor sanitation can further support rodent proliferation," Kumar added.

He, however, underlined that there is currently no indication of widespread transmission linked to the cruise ship cases and that standard rodent-control and sanitation measures remain the key preventive strategies against hantavirus. 
(With PTI inputs)