Hanoi (VNA) - The Communicable Diseases Agency of Singapore (CDA) reported on May 7 that two Singapore residents had been onboard the cruise ship MV Hondius, which has reported an outbreak of Andes hantavirus.
The CDA said in its press release on May 7 that the two individuals were onboard the MV Hondius when it departed from the Argentinian port of Ushuaia on April 1. The first, a 67-year-old Singaporean male, arrived in Singapore on 2 May. The second, a 65-year-old Singapore Permanent Resident male, arrived in Singapore on May 6.
Both are currently monitored and isolated at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID). They are being tested for hantavirus. If they test negative for hantavirus, they will be quarantined for 30 days from the date of last exposure, as the majority of hantavirus cases are expected to become symptomatic within this period.
Testing will be conducted again before release from quarantine, and they will then undergo phone surveillance for the remaining monitoring period of 45 days from the date of last exposure, which is the maximum incubation period for hantavirus exposure.
If they are tested positive for hantavirus, they will remain hospitalised for monitoring and treatment, given the potential severity of hantavirus infection. Contact tracing will be conducted to identify persons who have been exposed during the infectious period, and close contacts will be quarantined./.
