The first case of hantavirus has been diagnosed in Israel, Maariv reported Thursday.
The patient is believed to have been infected during a stay in Eastern Europe several months ago and sought medical attention after developing symptoms associated with the disease.
Details about the patient, his or her place of residence, and the medical center where the diagnoses was made could not yet be published.
The patient underwent an antibody test after the symptoms appeared, which showed exposure to hantavirus, Maariv reported. A PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test was then conducted to detect the virus’s genetic material, confirming the infection, the report said.
The patient was said to be in stable condition, not in need of intensive care or strict isolation, and was being kept under medical observation. The case was reported to the Health Ministry.
While unusual in Israel, this is not the first time Israelis have been diagnosed with hantavirus. About a decade ago, several Israelis were suspected of having been infected with the virus while traveling in South America.
Unlike the outbreak of the South American Andes strain currently drawing international attention aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship, however, the Israeli patient was infected with a European strain of the virus.
The distinction is significant. There have only been a few documented cases of person-to-person transmission of the more dangerous and well-known Andes strain. Most of the other hantavirus strains worldwide are transmitted primarily from rodents to humans.
The Andes strain originates in South America, primarily in Argentina and Chile, and is unique in that rare cases of person-to-person transmission through close, prolonged contact have been documented.
Nevertheless, the hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius continues to concern health authorities worldwide. Several countries are working to trace passengers who left the ship before it anchored off Cape Verde to ensure they had not developed symptoms or accidentally infected others.
So far, three passengers – a Dutch couple and a German citizen – have died in the outbreak aboard the MV Hondius. A total of eight confirmed or suspected cases linked to the voyage have been reported, including that of a Swiss citizen hospitalized in Zurich.
The ship, carrying about 147 passengers and crew members from 23 countries, departed from Ushuaia in southern Argentina on April 1. Its route passed through Antarctica and remote islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, including South Georgia, Tristan da Cunha, Saint Helena, and Ascension Island.
After several cases of severe respiratory illness were reported onboard, the vessel anchored off Praia in Cape Verde. The passengers were not permitted to disembark.
On Wednesday, three patients were evacuated from the ship, two of them in serious condition. The vessel later set course for the Canary Islands after Spain announced it would allow the ship to dock for medical and humanitarian reasons.
According to Spain’s health minister, the ship was expected to arrive in Tenerife within about three days. If those onboard remain symptom-free, foreign nationals will later be returned to their home countries.
The outbreak aboard the ship has drawn particular attention because the more dangerous Andes strain of hantavirus was identified.
The World Health Organization said the risk to the general public remained low, and that there is no evidence the virus spreads through ordinary day-to-day contact.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it was monitoring American citizens who were on board the ship or connected to the voyage as part of contact tracing efforts.
What is hantavirus?
Hantavirus belongs to a family of viruses transmitted mainly by rodents, which shed the virus through urine, feces, and saliva. Humans are then infected when tiny particles from the dried secretions become airborne and are inhaled.
Such exposure can occur while cleaning a storage room, attic, equipment shed, cabin, summer home, or any enclosed area where mice or rats were present. Infection can also occur after touching a contaminated surface and then touching the mouth, nose, or eyes. Rodent bites or scratches are another possible route of transmission, although less common.
The initial symptoms can be misleading and resemble those of a common viral illness, including fever, chills, muscle aches, headaches, weakness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or abdominal pain.
In some hantavirus strains, severe lung complications may later develop, including shortness of breath, coughing, fluid buildup in the lungs, low blood pressure, and impaired heart function.
Other strains, mainly those found in Europe and Asia, can cause a hemorrhagic syndrome, involving kidney damage, low blood pressure, impaired kidney function, and sometimes internal bleeding.
The severity of the disease varies greatly depending on the strain, the level of exposure, and the patient’s overall health condition.
Diagnosis is based on clinical suspicion, a relevant exposure history, and laboratory testing. Antibody tests can indicate exposure to the virus, while molecular tests, such as a PCR, can detect the virus’s genetic material.
There is currently no proven antiviral treatment specifically for most hantavirus cases, so treatment is primarily supportive. It includes medical monitoring, careful fluid administration, oxygen if necessary, treatment for low blood pressure, kidney support and, in severe cases, intensive-care hospitalization and mechanical ventilation.
The most important way to reduce risk is prevention by keeping rodents away, sealing openings, storing food in closed containers, and avoiding dry sweeping or vacuuming rodent droppings, which can release infected particles into the air.