Jersey health officials say hantavirus threat remains “very low”
- May 11
- 1 min read
Health authorities in Jersey have reassured islanders that the risk posed by hantavirus remains “very low” following an outbreak linked to a cruise ship that departed Argentina last month.
Public Health Jersey said it was continuing to monitor developments alongside health agencies in the UK, adding that no islanders are currently known to have been affected.
The outbreak has been linked to several deaths and hospital admissions among passengers connected to the voyage. While hantavirus is usually spread through contact with infected rodents, experts are investigating whether limited human-to-human transmission may have occurred between people in close contact.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has stressed there is no indication the outbreak could develop into a pandemic.
Speaking on Thursday, WHO infectious disease expert Dr Maria Van Kerkhove said: “This is not Covid, this is not influenza — it spreads very, very differently.”
Health officials noted that, unlike highly contagious illnesses such as measles, the hantavirus strain involved is not believed to spread easily.
Public Health Jersey said the risk to people in Jersey and the wider UK population remained “very low” and advised anyone seeking further information to consult guidance issued by the UK Health Security Agency.
