A cruise ship suspected of a Hunter-virus cluster infection arrived in Tenerife, one of the Spanish Canary Islands, on the morning of May 9 [1].
The arrival has triggered an immediate public health response to prevent a potential outbreak on land. Health authorities are overseeing the precautionary disembarkation and medical screening of those on board to contain the suspected virus.
More than 80 passengers [1] and some crew members [1] are set to disembark using small boats. Despite the suspected cluster, officials said that zero persons on board were symptomatic as of May 9 [1]. The ship is also carrying one body [1].
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus addressed the situation to mitigate public panic. He said that the trauma of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic remains deeply etched in people's minds, which may lead to anxiety regarding this event.
"This disease is not the coronavirus. The risk to local residents is low," Tedros said [2].
The WHO Director-General emphasized the importance of relying on official health data during the screening process. He said the public should trust the organization's guidance as the situation is monitored.
"I want you to trust our words," Tedros said [2].
Local authorities in Tenerife are coordinating with the WHO to ensure that all disembarking individuals undergo rigorous health checks. The use of small boats for the transfer is a precautionary measure to maintain strict control over the movement of passengers from the vessel to the shore.
“This disease is not the coronavirus. The risk to local residents is low”
The rapid deployment of WHO leadership and the use of isolated disembarkation methods reflect a heightened global sensitivity to cluster infections following the COVID-19 pandemic. By explicitly distancing the Hunter-virus from the coronavirus, health officials are attempting to prevent social instability and travel panic while managing a localized medical emergency.
