The interim Minister of Health, Cseke Attila, stated on Thursday, May 7, that Romania has no reason to worry about the hantavirus at the moment.
The interim Minister of Health specified that he received information from the specialists of the National Institute of Public Health (INSP) regarding the hantavirus situation.
“From what I was told by the National Public Health Agency and you saw their press release, there are no reasons for concern in Romania. The specialist elements that you also received were given”the minister stated in a press conference.
The statement comes in the context in which three people have died as a result of a possible hantavirus outbreak on board a cruise ship sailing in the Atlantic Ocean, according to information provided by the World Health Organization.
Subsequently, the WHO reported seven identified cases, “two laboratory-confirmed hantavirus cases and five suspected cases, among which three are deaths, and one patient is in critical condition (currently in intensive care in Johannesburg, South Africa, no), plus three more people” which is on board.
According to experts, hantavirus infection can cause three main types of illness, depending on the strain of hantavirus.
“Hantavirus disease can have various symptoms, from asymptomatic to severe. Complications vary depending on the strain of hantavirus, with some strains being more deadly than others. Occupations such as forestry workers and farmers are at increased risk of exposure.”warn the researchers of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
