Is There a Hantavirus Risk? Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu Breaks Silence on the Outbreak
On an international cruise ship, six out of 147 passengers tested positive for hantavirus. The presence of Turkish citizens on board sparked questions of 'Has Hantavirus reached Turkey?' The Ministry of Health reported no cases in Turkey, while Minister Kemal Memişoğlu made further statements.
The quarantine is still ongoing for the five Turkish citizens who were found on the ship where the Hantavirus was detected.
The alert issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) on May 2nd regarding severe respiratory disease cases observed on an international cruise ship is being closely monitored by Turkey. Health Minister Kemal Memişoğlu made significant statements regarding the hantavirus discussions that are occupying the global health agenda. During a live broadcast on TVNET, Minister Memişoğlu detailed the steps Turkey has taken following the hantavirus cases that emerged on a cruise ship, as well as the current epidemic risk.
According to the information shared by Minister Memişoğlu, pulmonary disease was detected in 8 out of 147 passengers on the ship, and 6 of these tested positive for hantavirus.
Memişoğlu highlighted that Turkey has conducted a swift operation regarding the situation. He clarified the status of Turkish citizens who were on the ship and those who had previously departed. He stated that 2 citizens who had previously left the ship and 3 who were on board were brought back to Turkey on specially isolated planes.
Memişoğlu said, 'From the moment they disembarked from the ship, we took them in isolation with our own plane, and currently, they are under quarantine, and we are monitoring them, their tests also came back negative. The quarantine and isolation process of these 5 individuals, which lasts approximately 42 days, is ongoing. We call them in a clinical sense every day, our public health team is tracking whether they have any symptoms or not.'
A definitive answer to the question, "Is there a risk of an outbreak?"
Addressing the concerns that have arisen in society, Memişoğlu urged everyone to 'rest assured,' articulating clearly that there is currently no risk of an outbreak due to hantavirus. The Minister reminded that neither the scientific community nor the scientific committees in Turkey have issued any warnings about an increased risk. He emphasized that, with the resilience and experience gained during the Covid19 process, the health system is fully capable of warding off any threat.
How does the Hantavirus spread? A warning from the Ministry.
Minister Memişoğlu, who also provided information about the nature of the hantavirus, pointed out that the virus primarily infects humans through the fluids and feces of rodents. He reminded that the Ministry of Health monitors all diseases, not just the hantavirus, but everything from seasonal flu infections to other viral threats, through digital and clinical tracking systems 24/7. He added to his remarks by stating that credibility should be given not to speculative information, but only to official institutional announcements.
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