The World Health Organization said Monday the hantavirus linked to a deadly cruise ship outbreak is most contagious at the onset of symptoms, underscoring the need to quarantine close contacts.
The outbreak of the rare virus on the Dutch-flagged vessel MV Hondius has claimed three lives and spurred global concern over its potential spread as evacuees head back to their countries.
"The first few moments of illness is when the infectiousness is highest," Olivier Le Polain, who heads WHO's epidemiology and analytics for response division, told a social media event.
The WHO has recommended that all the nearly 150 people who were onboard the ship when it arrived early Sunday in the waters off Tenerife for disembarkment be quarantined for six weeks.
That corresponds to the maximum incubation period for the Andes virus, the only hantavirus strain known to spread between humans, at the heart of the outbreak, which is around 42 days.
