In Finland, the disease caused by the Andes virus may be recognized as a particularly dangerous infection
Kyiv • UNN
The Finnish government plans to include the Andes virus in the list of particularly dangerous diseases. This will allow for the introduction of quarantine measures and the payment of compensation to those in isolation.
The Finnish government may include the disease caused by the Andes virus in the list of particularly dangerous infectious diseases in the coming days. This was reported by Yle, according to UNN.
Details
The Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, together with the National Institute for Health and Welfare, has already prepared amendments to the relevant regulations. It is expected that the new category will be defined as a "serious disease caused by the Andes virus."
According to Taneli Puumalainen, head of the ministry's department, the disease can cause severe lung damage, cardiac complications, and multi-organ failure.
"The most important thing is that it is a serious, life-threatening disease associated with significant mortality,"
Authorities will receive the right to impose quarantine
The status of a particularly dangerous infection will allow Finnish authorities to impose quarantine on people who have been in contact with those infected. It will also grant the right to compensation for individuals who are isolated due to the risk of infection.
The Ministry of Health noted that previously, the Andes virus had only been recorded in small clusters in South America. The current case marks the first spread outside the endemic region.
In parallel, preparations for a broader reform of the law on infectious diseases are underway in Finland. The new bill will allow authorities to impose quarantine and other restrictions immediately upon the emergence of a reasonable suspicion of a dangerous infection, without prior amendments to regulatory acts.