WHO chief says hantavirus outbreak is not COVID, urges calm
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters that the hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship off Cape Verde must not be confused with COVID-19. He stressed the virus does not spread person-to-person and that the outbreak risk is contained.
At a press briefing in Geneva, Tedros said the global panic stirred by hantavirus cases on board the MV Hondius is misplaced. "This is not COVID. Hantavirus does not transmit person to person; the primary risk is contact with rodent urine and droppings," he told reporters. The WHO is in continuous contact with passengers and crew.
The outbreak is believed to have started at one of the remote stations the ship visited on its Antarctic itinerary. Cape Verde's health ministry said every passenger was screened before the vessel was cleared to head toward the Canary Islands. Confirmed cases stand at 12 so far, with two deaths handled with on-board medical support.
Tedros also addressed President Trump's claim that the hantavirus is "under control". The WHO has chosen more cautious language, he said, but the outbreak has not crossed the threshold for a public-health emergency of international concern. African states including Senegal and Cape Verde said they had reinforced surveillance systems.
More from Africa
Ethiopian woman gives birth to rare quintuplets after twelve-year wait
A 35-year-old woman gave birth to quintuplets at a hospital in Addis Ababa after 12 years trying to conceive. Mother and babies are in good condition, in a case that showcases Ethiopia's growing high-risk obstetric capacity.
Mali junta leader names himself defence minister after predecessor killed
Mali's military junta leader has assumed the role of defence minister after his predecessor, Sadio Camara, was killed in a major offensive by combined jihadist and separatist forces.
Three Pakistani police officers killed in car bomb attack in northwest
A car bomb has killed three police officers and wounded at least six others in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Officials are investigating links to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, which has stepped up attacks along the western border in recent months.