Ukraine is a natural hotspot for the circulation of hantaviruses — Lyashko
He made these remarks in response to MPs during Question Time in the Verkhovna Rada.
“Ukraine is a natural hotspot for the circulation of hantaviruses. However, the predominant form of hantavirus infection here is fever with renal syndrome, whereas what we are seeing in the media today is the form with pulmonary syndrome,” said Lyashko.
He noted that the ministry has all the data on Ukrainians who were crew members of the cruise ship where the latest hantavirus outbreak occurred.
Previously, the Public Health Centre explained that dozens of cases of hantavirus infection are recorded in Ukraine every year. But not the type recorded on the cruise ship.
People usually contract hantavirus from rodents, and this virus is not transmitted from person to person. Only one type, the And virus, is known to be transmissible between humans, but this is rare. It is this type of virus that was detected in people who were on board the MV Hondius.
The And hantavirus has not been detected and is not circulating in Ukraine. Although, as in other European countries, other types of hantaviruses are recorded here, these are mainly associated with natural reservoirs among rodents.
As a reminder, the head of the WHO previously called on countries worldwide to prepare for new cases of hantavirus.
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