ALBAWABA - Since the announcement of the Hanatavirus outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, pet owners have been questioning whether their animals could transmit the new virus amid fears it could become a global pandemic, like the novel Coronavirus.
The Hantavirus, a rodent-borne virus that can cause severe and potentially fatal respiratory illness, caused panic aboard a Netherlands-based cruise ship, which left at least three people dead -- a Dutch husband and wife and a German woman.
The World Health Organization said on Sunday that the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius cruise ship has reached the shores of Tenerife with 150 people on board.
It added that "We are in the port, coordinating the next steps for the safe disemarkment of the passengers." The WHO said Friday it had confirmed six cases of Hantavirus.
Hantavirus symptoms:
Symptoms of Hantavirus include fever, fatigue, chills, and muscle aches as primary symptoms, in addition to headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and sometimes diarrhea. Coughing and shortness of breath may appear in later stages.
Can pets transmit Hantavirus to humans?
Veterinary professors revealed to Al-Arabiya.net and Al-Hadath.net scientific facts that settle the debate about the role of home animals in the chain of infection, the nature of the relationship between cats and dogs and this virus, and how to protect homes from any potential infection.
Dr. Sarah Attallah, head of the Scientific Center at the Egyptian Veterinary Syndicate, said that the Hantavirus is primarily transmitted by rodents. She explained that rodents can transmit the virus to some pets, such as cats or dogs, through direct contact or interaction with rodents in homes or on the streets.
Attallah added that cats and dogs may carry the virus after contact with rodents, but so far there is no evidence confirming direct transmission of the Hantavirus from pets to humans. She emphasized that the main source of infection remains rodents and their excrement.
