Trump Downplays Risk of Hantavirus

(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump on Friday described hantavirus as "not easily transferable, unlike COVID," in an effort to calm public concern while health officials across several countries work to contain an outbreak linked to a cruise ship.

Speaking to journalists as he departed the White House, Trump said the situation appeared to be under control and emphasized that experts are familiar with the virus. He noted that it has existed for a long time and stressed its limited transmissibility compared with COVID, adding, "We seem to have things under very good control. They know the virus very well. It's been around a long time, not easily transferable, unlike COVID, but we'll see."

He also confirmed that American health agencies have been fully briefed and are actively tracking developments. According to him, specialists in the United States are keeping a close watch on the situation, and he expressed cautious optimism, saying, "We have very good people studying it very closely," and "We hope that's true."

Meanwhile, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has designated the hantavirus outbreak as a “Level 3” emergency response, which represents the lowest tier of formal emergency activation. This classification was reported by a news agency on Thursday.

Health authorities have identified the outbreak as involving the Andes strain of hantavirus. So far, it has led to five confirmed infections, including three fatalities, among individuals linked to a recent sea voyage, according to officials from the World Health Organization.

The ship involved, the MV Hondius, was carrying roughly 150 passengers and crew members representing 23 different nationalities. It set sail from Argentina, traveled across the Atlantic Ocean, and later reported a cluster of respiratory illnesses while navigating waters near Cape Verde.

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