Hantavirus case detected in Switzerland, authorities tracking contacts
Kyiv • UNN
A man who returned from a cruise in the Atlantic has been hospitalized in Zurich with a confirmed hantavirus infection. Authorities assess the risk to the public as low.
In Switzerland, authorities reported on Wednesday that a man infected with hantavirus is undergoing treatment at the University Hospital Zurich, adding that contacts are being traced and that there is currently no danger to the Swiss population, UNN reports, citing Swissinfo.
Details
The man was previously a passenger on the cruise ship MV Hondius in the Atlantic Ocean, where several cases of hantavirus infection were recorded on board.
According to the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), the man returned from a trip to South America with his wife in late April. After symptoms appeared, he sought treatment at a Zurich hospital, where he was immediately isolated.
A test conducted at the reference laboratory of the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) confirmed the virus infection. The man's wife had no symptoms but self-isolated as a precaution.
"Cantonal authorities are currently determining whether the patient had contact with other people," the publication states.
The FOPH believes that "the emergence of new cases in Switzerland is unlikely and classifies the risk to the population as low."
Hantavirus is rare in Switzerland. In recent years, between zero and six cases have been registered annually. Most of these infections were caused by exposure abroad.