Hantavirus Case Confirmed In Switzerland, No Risk To Public - Authorities

MOSCOW, May 6 (Bernama-Sputnik/RIA Novosti) -- A case of hantavirus infection has been confirmed in Switzerland, with the affected man having previously been on board a cruise liner at the centre of a hantavirus outbreak, the Swiss Cabinet announced on Wednesday, reported Sputnik/RIA Novosti.

"One person with a hantavirus infection is currently being treated at the University Hospital Zurich (USZ). The patient is male and returned to Switzerland after travelling on the cruise ship on which there were a number of hantavirus cases," the Cabinet said in a statement.

The man tested positive for the Andes strain of hantavirus, which occurs in South America. Unlike European strains, which are transmitted through excretions of infected rodents, the Andes virus may be passed from person to person.

"However, transmission only occurs through close contact. The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) therefore considers the occurrence of further cases in Switzerland unlikely. The risk to the public in Switzerland is low," the statement read.

The University Hospital of Zurich is prepared for such cases and can treat the patient while ensuring the safety of both staff and other patients, the government said.

On May 4, the World Health Organisation reported that seven cases of hantavirus infection had been confirmed on a cruise ship travelling in the Atlantic Ocean. Three patients died, while another one remains in intensive care in South Africa. Two others are scheduled for medical evacuation.

-- BERNAMA-SPUTNIK/RIA NOVOSTI