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A cruise ship linked to a hantavirus outbreak has reached the Canary Islands after several passengers and crew members were connected to confirmed and suspected infections. The outbreak aboard the MV Hondius has so far been tied to three confirmed cases and five suspected ones. Among the confirmed cases are a Dutch woman who died, a British passenger receiving intensive care treatment in South Africa and a Swiss passenger being treated in Zurich, reports BBC. Suspected cases include a British national, a Dutch crew member and a German passenger. Two of them have been transferred to the Netherlands for treatment, while another remains in stable condition aboard a delayed evacuation flight. Although none of the suspected cases have tested positive yet, two individuals have shown symptoms associated with the virus. Two British passengers who left the ship earlier during its Atlantic voyage from Argentina to Cape Verde are currently isolating at home in the UK after possible exposure. According to the UK Health Security Agency, neither has developed symptoms. Meanwhile, health officials in the US states of Arizona and Georgia said they are monitoring three American passengers who disembarked before the vessel arrived in Cape Verde. None have shown signs of illness. Passengers remaining on board are undergoing medical assessments and are leaving the ship in stages based on nationality. Several Spanish and French travellers have already returned home, while countries including the UK have arranged special flights for their citizens. What is the Andes strain of hantavirus?Hantavirus refers to a group of viruses rather than a single disease. The virus family takes its name from a river in South Korea. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says there are more than 20 hantavirus species, most of which are transmitted to humans through exposure to infected rodents such as rats and mice, especially via dried urine and droppings. One particular variant — the Andes strain — is believed capable of spreading between humans, though such transmission is considered rare. South African health authorities confirmed that the British passenger being treated in Johannesburg and the Dutch woman who died were infected with the Andes strain. The Andes virus is commonly found in Argentina and Chile. A major outbreak in Argentina in 2018 was linked to a social gathering where one infected individual is believed to have transmitted the virus to 34 people, resulting in 11 deaths. How does this affect response measures?The confirmation of the Andes strain has increased concerns that transmission may have occurred through close human contact on the ship in addition to possible exposure to rodents. As a precaution, passengers remaining aboard the vessel are being confined to their cabins to reduce contact. British nationals returning home are also expected to self-isolate. A WHO physician on board reported that no additional passengers had developed symptoms as of Saturday. Health experts say containing the outbreak will depend on strict measures including isolating infected individuals, monitoring close contacts, maintaining hand hygiene and following infection-control procedures. The exact source of the outbreak remains unclear. Earlier WHO findings suggested the first infected passengers had travelled through Argentina, Chile and Uruguay during a bird-watching tour that included areas inhabited by rodents known to carry the virus. Despite the outbreak, specialists say the overall risk to the global population remains very low, with no evidence so far of spread beyond the cruise ship. How does hantavirus spread?Hantavirus is usually transmitted through contact with rodent saliva, urine or droppings. People often become infected after inhaling virus particles that become airborne when contaminated rodent waste is disturbed. Infections can also occur through rodent bites. The Andes strain is currently the only known hantavirus capable of spreading between humans, and even then transmission is uncommon. Experts say person-to-person spread generally requires prolonged and close interaction with someone showing symptoms. WHO officials note that the virus does not spread in the same way as influenza or Covid-19, which are transmitted more easily through coughing or sneezing. What are the symptoms and how dangerous is it?Hantavirus can lead to two serious illnesses. The first is Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), which initially causes symptoms such as fever, fatigue and muscle pain. Patients may later experience headaches, chills, dizziness and abdominal problems. In severe cases, breathing difficulties can develop rapidly, requiring urgent medical care. The Andes strain is commonly associated with HPS, which carries a fatality rate of between 20 and 40 percent. The incubation period can range from one to eight weeks, making early detection more difficult. The second illness is Haemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS), which begins with flu-like symptoms but can progress to kidney damage, internal bleeding, low blood pressure and acute kidney failure. Is there a vaccine or treatment?There is currently no specific cure for hantavirus infections, although prompt medical treatment can improve survival chances. Supportive care may include oxygen therapy, ventilator support and dialysis for patients with kidney complications. Severely ill patients often require treatment in intensive care units. Researchers are also testing potential new treatments. No widely available vaccine exists yet, although some vaccines targeting local hantavirus strains are being used in China and South Korea.    

The head of the World Health Organization on Saturday sought to ease public anxiety in Tenerife, where passengers from a cruise ship linked to a hantavirus outbreak are set to be evacuated. He emphasized that the situation should not be compared to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Dutch-registered cruise ship MV Hondius, carrying more than 140 passengers and crew members, is traveling toward Spain’s Canary Islands and is expected to reach Tenerife early Sunday. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived in Tenerife alongside Spain’s Health Minister Monica Garcia and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska to oversee preparations for the safe evacuation of passengers and selected crew members. In a public message to Tenerife residents, Tedros acknowledged lingering fears from the COVID-19 era but stressed that the current outbreak does not pose a similar threat. He said the public health risk from hantavirus remains low and reiterated that health experts are closely monitoring the situation. Authorities and the cruise operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, confirmed that no one currently aboard the ship is showing symptoms of the virus. Hantavirus is a potentially deadly disease commonly spread through exposure to contaminated rodent droppings. Human-to-human transmission is considered rare, although the Andes strain detected in this outbreak may occasionally spread between people. Symptoms can appear anywhere from one to eight weeks after exposure. So far, three people linked to the outbreak have died, while five former passengers have tested positive after leaving the ship. Concerns Grow Among Tenerife ResidentsSome residents of Tenerife have expressed unease about the ship’s arrival. Local resident Simon Vidal questioned why the vessel was being brought to the Canary Islands instead of another location. Others voiced mixed feelings, balancing concern with sympathy for passengers. Venezuelan immigrant Samantha Aguero said people feel uncertain about the safety measures in place but also recognize the need for compassion toward those onboard. Strict Safety Measures Planned for EvacuationSpanish Health Minister Monica Garcia said passengers and selected crew members would leave the ship under strict health protocols. The vessel will stay offshore rather than dock directly, and passengers will be transported to land in small boats. Before anyone disembarks, health officials will screen them for symptoms, and evacuation flights will already be prepared in Tenerife. People from more than 20 countries are currently aboard the ship. WHO epidemic expert Maria Van Kerkhove said evacuation flights are expected to be completed by Sunday and Monday. The United States and the United Kingdom have agreed to send aircraft to repatriate their citizens. U.S. passengers will reportedly undergo quarantine at a medical facility in Nebraska. Spanish nationals onboard will be transferred to a medical center and placed under quarantine. According to Oceanwide Expeditions, there are 13 Spanish passengers and one Spanish crew member aboard. Passengers will not be allowed to take most of their belongings with them. They may carry only a small bag containing essentials such as documents, a phone, and a charger. Some crew members, along with the body of a passenger who died onboard, will remain on the ship, which will later sail to the Netherlands for full disinfection. Emergency Medical Plane on StandbyDutch officials said Spain has activated the European Union’s civil protection system to prepare a specialized medical evacuation aircraft in case someone aboard becomes seriously ill. Any infected person needing urgent treatment would be flown to mainland Europe. The Dutch government is coordinating with Spanish authorities and the cruise company to arrange the return of Dutch passengers and crew once health officials approve. Those without symptoms will complete six weeks of home quarantine under medical supervision. Because the ship sails under the Dutch flag, the Netherlands may also temporarily host passengers from other countries during quarantine. Global Efforts Underway to Trace Former PassengersHealth agencies around the world are now monitoring more than two dozen passengers who left the ship before the outbreak was identified. Officials are also attempting to trace anyone who may have had contact with them. On April 24, nearly two weeks after the first onboard death, more than two dozen people from at least 12 countries disembarked without contact tracing procedures in place. Authorities did not officially confirm hantavirus infection in a passenger until May 2. Dutch public health officials are also monitoring passengers from a flight briefly boarded by a Dutch traveler from the ship who later died from hantavirus. Three passengers from that flight who developed symptoms have since tested negative, according to Dutch health authorities.   

Countries around the world are preparing to deal with the more than 140 passengers and crew members on board a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship headed for the Canary Islands. The vessel is expected to reach the Spanish island of Tenerife, off the coast of West Africa, early Sunday. At least three passengers have died, and several other people have been infected. Hantavirus is usually spread by the inhalation of contaminated rodent droppings and isn’t easily transmitted between people. Some scientists believe the Andes virus implicated in the cruise ship outbreak may be able to spread between people in rare cases. But the World Health Organization says the risk to the wider public from the outbreak is low. Symptoms usually show between one and eight weeks after exposure. Authorities and the cruise operator have been providing updates, but some key information is still lacking. Here’s what we don’t know: Where the outbreak originated Argentine investigators suspect a Dutch couple may have first contracted the virus while on a bird-watching trip before they boarded the cruise ship in Argentina on April 1. But no organization has confirmed where or how they acquired the disease. Argentina’s Health Ministry has zeroed in on the nation’s southernmost town, Ushuaia. Officials plan to travel there in the coming days, according to a written statement to The Associated Press. What happens next to the remaining passengers Spanish authorities are preparing to receive the remaining passengers and crew members on Tenerife. Officials said Friday that passengers will be evacuated in small boats to buses only once their repatriation flights are ready to take them. The United States agreed to send a plane to the Canary Islands to pick up its citizens, as will the British government. American passengers will be brought to a dedicated biocontainment and quarantine unit in Nebraska for assessment, officials said Friday. Other countries have not yet made their plans public, and it is not clear how long boat passengers will have to wait for their flights. Spain has requested medically equipped planes for passengers experiencing symptoms, Virginia Barcones, the country’s head of emergency services, said Friday. How many people may have been exposed Cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions and Dutch officials said Thursday that more than two dozen people from at least 12 different countries left the ship at the remote island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic on April 24. They included a Dutch woman who disembarked with her husband’s body. He was the first passenger to die, but it wasn’t until May 2 that health authorities first confirmed hantavirus in a ship passenger. The delay left countries scrambling to track the passengers who got off the ship some two weeks earlier. The passengers included a resident of the remote island of Tristan da Cunha who has been hospitalized with symptoms of hantavirus, according to the British Foreign Office. Stephen Doughty, the U.K. minister of overseas territories, said in a message to the British overseas territory that his thoughts were with “the islander currently in hospital and their spouse who is isolating.” The whereabouts of all of the passengers Many of the passengers who disembarked at St. Helena traveled on to other countries, including the Dutch woman whose husband died on board. She flew to Johannesburg then briefly boarded a plane preparing to fly to Amsterdam. She was removed because she was too ill to travel, and later died. South African and Dutch authorities are trying to trace the whereabouts of anyone who had contact with the woman during her travels. A flight attendant who had contact with her has tested negative for hantavirus after reporting symptoms. Some governments, like the United Kingdom, have confirmed the whereabouts of their citizens who left the boat. However, U.K. officials do not know or have not made public how many others they have come into contact with since. In the U.S., some state officials said they were monitoring a small number of residents who were on the ship and already went home. None has symptoms.

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has moved to reassure residents of Spain’s Canary Island of Tenerife ahead of the expected arrival of a cruise ship carrying passengers exposed to hantavirus, saying the public health risk remains low. The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, carrying more than 140 passengers and crew, is en route to the Spanish island and is expected to arrive early Sunday. The vessel is believed to have been affected by a hantavirus outbreak during its voyage. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, along with Spain’s Health Minister Monica Garcia and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, is scheduled to travel to Tenerife on Saturday to oversee coordination of disembarkation procedures. Concerns have been raised among some local residents who fear possible transmission of the virus, while some passengers have also expressed anxiety about their reception upon arrival. “I know you are worried. I know that when you hear the word “outbreak” and watch a ship sail toward your shores, memories surface that none of us have fully put to rest. The pain of 2020 is still real, and I do not dismiss it for a single moment.,” Tedros said in a message to Tenerife residents. “But I need you to hear me clearly: This is not another COVID. The current public health risk from hantavirus remains low. My colleagues and I have said this unequivocally, and I will say it again to you now,” he added. According to health officials, three people have died and five passengers who left the ship have tested positive for hantavirus infection. The virus is typically transmitted through contact with contaminated rodent droppings and is not easily spread between humans, although rare person-to-person transmission has been linked to the Andes strain. The WHO, Spanish authorities and the cruise operator Oceanwide stated that no one currently on board the vessel is showing symptoms. Tedros also said the WHO continues to monitor the situation and coordinate response measures, adding that the risk to both the Canary Islands and the wider world remains low.

Sierra Leone has declared the end of an mpox outbreak in the country. The declaration on Tuesday aligns with international health standards, which require a minimum of 42 days without a new confirmed case, Health Minister Austin Demby told a ceremony marking the second anniversary of the National Public Health Agency (NPHA). All 16 districts with reported cases have exceeded the 42-day timeframe, with several areas surpassing 150 days since their last infection. Since the first mpox case was recorded on Jan. 9, Sierra Leone has reported 5,442 confirmed cases, including 60 deaths. Foday Sahr, executive director of the NPHA, said the agency's establishment symbolizes Sierra Leone's commitment to never again facing health emergencies unprepared. The ceremony drew commendations from global health leaders, including Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, and Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who praised Sierra Leone's efforts in effectively addressing public health threats.  

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Tuesday said he was appalled by the escalating violence in Nepal that has resulted in multiple deaths and the injury of hundreds of mostly young protesters, as well as the widespread destruction of property. “I plead with security forces to exercise utmost restraint, and avoid further such bloodshed and harm,” he said, adding that violence is not the answer. “Dialogue is the best and only way to address the concerns of the Nepalese people. It is important that the voices of young people are heard.” The High Commissioner said protesters have the right to express peacefully their political frustrations and grievances over corruption and a ban on social media platforms. “I have received concerning reports of unnecessary and disproportionate use of force by the security forces,” said Türk. “I call for urgent, thorough, transparent and impartial investigation into such acts.” Ex-Nepal PM’s wife dies after protestets set their home on fire He reminded protesters that they too must uphold the spirit of peaceful assembly and refrain from violence. “I am disturbed by reports of public buildings, businesses and private residences being attacked and, in some instances, set ablaze. Equally, I am concerned by reports of physical attacks on senior government officials.” The world has admired Nepal’s emergence from conflict to become a peaceful democracy, Türk said, appealing to all Nepalese stakeholders to find a way forward to continue on that path. “Together with the United Nations system, my Office stands ready to support dialogue and trust-building measures that can help de-escalate tensions and restore confidence,” the High Commissioner said.

In what could prove to be a major breakthrough for cancer patients, an mRNA-based vaccine has been developed, demonstrating 100% efficacy and safety in clinical trials. The Enteromix vaccine showed promising results during trials, helping patients with large tumors by significantly reducing their size and effectively destroying cancer cells, reports WION. According to Russia Today (RT), the vaccine is now only awaiting final approval from the Russian Ministry of Health for public rollout. Developed in Russia, Enteromix is the first cancer vaccine to utilize the same mRNA technology platform that was successfully used in COVID-19 vaccines. This next-generation immunotherapy is designed to precisely target and eliminate cancer cells, offering new hope to millions of cancer patients worldwide. Enteromix is administered via intramuscular injection and has already been introduced for early clinical use in several oncology centers across Russia. Unlike traditional treatments like chemotherapy or radiation, Enteromix follows a personalized approach, tailoring the therapy to each individual patient. Notably, no serious side effects were reported during clinical trials. The vaccine was developed by the Russian Ministry of Health’s National Medical Research Radiological Centre, in collaboration with the Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology (EIMB) of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS). Who can benefit from Enteromix? Patients suffering from lung, breast, colorectal, or pancreatic cancers can benefit from the vaccine. It may also be effective for high-risk individuals with hereditary cancer syndromes (e.g., BRCA1/2) and those whose cancers are resistant to chemotherapy. Additionally, immunocompromised patients who cannot tolerate conventional treatments may look to Enteromix as a safer alternative. Following its successful clinical trials, the vaccine now only awaits regulatory clearance from the Russian government.

Global efforts to vaccinate children against preventable diseases have stalled since 2010, leaving millions at risk for illnesses such as tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, and measles, according to a new study published Tuesday in The Lancet. The analysis, conducted by researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, reveals a significant decline in vaccination rates—particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic, as reported by AP. The report warns that protection from measles dropped in 100 countries between 2010 and 2019, unraveling decades of progress. This includes setbacks in high-income countries that had previously eradicated the disease. “After clean water, vaccination is the most effective intervention for protecting the health of our children,” said Helen Bedford, a professor of children's health at University College London, who was not connected to the research. She added that recent years have seen “a small but worrying rise in the number of parents skipping vaccination for their children,” citing misinformation as one of the contributing factors. In the UK, this trend has led to the largest number of measles cases since the 1990s and nearly a dozen deaths from whooping cough. The United States is also experiencing a drop in vaccination rates, with exemption levels hitting an all-time high. The global immunization initiative, launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1974, was credited with inoculating over 4 billion children and saving an estimated 154 million lives. Philippine village offers bounties for mosquitoes-dead or alive Before the pandemic, the coverage of children receiving three doses of the diphtheria-tetanus-whooping cough vaccine had nearly doubled from 40% to 81%. Measles vaccination rates increased from 37% to 83%, with similar progress for polio and tuberculosis. However, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted these gains. An estimated 15.6 million children missed doses of both the diphtheria-tetanus-whooping cough vaccine and the measles vaccine. Approximately 16 million children missed the polio vaccine, and 9 million did not receive the TB vaccine—most notably in sub-Saharan Africa. The study was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance. Researchers also identified that over half of the world’s 15.7 million unvaccinated children in 2023 lived in just eight countries: Nigeria, India, Congo, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Indonesia, and Brazil. Experts have voiced concern that political decisions may further hamper immunization efforts. Since former President Donald Trump initiated the withdrawal of the U.S. from the WHO and began dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development, public health authorities have warned of an increased risk of infectious disease outbreaks. However, the researchers cautioned that it is too early to determine the exact impact of recent funding cuts on global vaccination rates. The WHO has reported alarming increases in measles cases. In the Americas, there has been an 11-fold surge in infections this year compared to 2024. In Europe, measles cases doubled in 2024, while the disease remains prevalent in Africa and Southeast Asia. “It is in everyone's interest that this situation is rectified,” said Dr. David Elliman, a pediatrician who has advised the British government. “While vaccine-preventable infectious diseases occur anywhere in the world, we are all at risk.”

Sinovac, a leading global biopharmaceutical company, hosted its "Sinovac Open Day for International Media" event on Friday, welcoming journalists from around 30 countries. The event provided an in-depth look at Sinovac’s operations and ongoing global initiatives aimed at advancing public health. The programme began with a welcome speech from Pearson Liu, Senior Assistant to the Chief Business Officer of Sinovac Holding Group Co., Ltd. In his address, Liu highlighted the company’s commitment to innovation, global partnerships, and the development of life-saving vaccines. He emphasised Sinovac’s role in combating global health challenges, underscoring its dedication to improving health outcomes worldwide. Ying Zhang, Deputy General Manager of Sinovac Life Science Co., Ltd., also spoke at the event, offering insights into the company’s research and development strategies, particularly focusing on vaccine production and distribution. Zhang outlined the company’s international collaborations and its mission to provide accessible, effective healthcare solutions globally. Replying to a question about the quality and safety of vaccines delivered to countries like Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic, Perry Peng, Country Business Development Manager of Sinovac's International Department, said Sinovac ensures the highest standards of quality and safety for every country it serves.

Thirty years after world leaders adopted a historic blueprint to achieve gender equality, a new United Nations report says women’s and girls’ rights are under attack and gender discrimination remains deeply embedded in economies and societies. The report released Thursday by the U.N. agency focused on women’s rights and gender equality found that nearly one-quarter of governments worldwide reported a backlash to women’s rights last year. Despite some progress, including on girls’ education and access to family planning, UN Women said a woman or girl is killed every 10 minutes by a partner or family member and that cases of conflict-related sexual violence have increased by 50% since 2022. The report, released ahead of International Women’s Day on Saturday, also noted that only 87 countries have ever been led by a woman. “Globally, women’s human rights are under attack,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement. “Instead of mainstreaming equal rights, we’re seeing the mainstreaming of misogyny.” He said the world must stand firm “in making human rights, equality and empowerment a reality for all women and girls, for everyone, everywhere.” The 189 countries that attended a 1995 Beijing women’s conference adopted a landmark declaration and 150-page platform for action to achieve gender equality, calling for bold action in 12 areas, including combating poverty and gender-based violence and putting women at top levels in business, government and at peacemaking tables. It also said for the first time in a U.N. document that human rights include the right of women to control and decide “on matters relating to their sexuality, including their sexual and reproductive health, free of discrimination, coercion and violence.” In the new review, which includes contributions from 159 countries, UN Women said countries have taken many steps forward on gender equality and women’s rights in the past five years but that such rights still are facing growing threats worldwide. On the positive side, the report said some 88% of countries have passed laws to combat violence against women and established services to help victims in the past five years. Most countries have banned workplace discrimination, and 44% are improving the quality of education and training for girls and women, it said. Overturning of Roe v Wade abortion law huge blow to women's rights: Bachelet Yet gender discrimination is deeply embedded, with wide gaps in power and resources that restrain women’s rights, the report said. “The weakening of democratic institutions has gone hand in hand with backlash on gender equality,” UN Women said. It warned that “anti-rights actors are actively undermining longstanding consensus on key women’s rights issues” and seeking to block or slow legal and policy gains they can’t roll back. UN Women said almost 25% of countries reported that backlash on gender equality is hampering implementation of the Beijing platform. According to the report, women have only 64% of the legal rights of men, and while the proportion of female lawmakers has more than doubled since 1995, three-quarters of lawmakers are still men. UN Women also said women aged 15 to 24 lag behind other age groups on access to modern family planning; maternal mortality ratios have remained almost unchanged since 2015; and 10% of women and girls live in extremely poor households. The U.N. agency said cases of conflict-related sexual violence have increased 50% since 2022 — and women and girls are victims of 95% of these crimes. UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous said that based on the report’s findings, the agency has adopted a roadmap to bring the world closer to the U.N. goal of achieving gender equality by 2030. Pakistan reaffirms commitment for protection, promotion of women's rights It calls for a digital revolution ensuring equal access to technology for all women and girls; investments in social protections, including universal health care and quality education to lift them out of poverty; and zero violence against girls and women. The roadmap also includes equal decision-making power for women and financing for “gender-responsive humanitarian aid” in conflicts and crises.