Health authorities in Italy and Spain have reported that all recent tests conducted on individuals suspected of hantavirus infection have returned negative results, as international monitoring continues following an outbreak linked to a cruise ship expedition.
Seventeen people under observation in the two countries tested negative, according to national health ministries, even as governments across Europe continue coordinated surveillance efforts to track potential cases, News.Az reports, citing Miami Herald.
The World Health Organization has warned that more cases may still emerge from the outbreak cluster, which began on a luxury cruise ship that departed from Argentina during a polar expedition. However, it stressed that the situation is not comparable to COVID-19 and is not considered a pandemic.
Hantavirus is primarily transmitted through contact with rodents, though human-to-human transmission is rare and requires close contact. Health officials noted that incubation periods can last up to six weeks, leading to extended quarantine measures across several countries.
Three deaths have been linked to the outbreak so far, including a Dutch couple and a German national.
In Italy, tests were carried out on an Argentine tourist hospitalized with pneumonia, a man from Calabria in voluntary isolation, a British tourist in Milan, and a companion. All were found negative, according to the Italian health ministry, which said the overall risk in Europe remains low.
In Spain, 13 quarantined individuals in a military hospital in Madrid also tested negative, with health officials confirming that previous positive cases are being closely monitored and remain stable.
European health ministers are holding coordination discussions to manage response strategies, while further test results from contacts in France are expected.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has recommended a six-week quarantine for asymptomatic passengers from the original cruise ship exposure, with monitoring continuing until late June.
Health experts say the investigation may continue for months due to the virus’s long incubation period, but current assessments suggest only a limited number of additional cases are likely.
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