Some residents in Johannesburg, Gauteng province in South Africa (SA) say they remain hopeful that the Department of Health will contain recently detected hantavirus cases linked to an international cruise ship.
Three people who were on board the vessel travelling from Argentina to Cape Verde have died, while one patient remains in a serious condition at a Johannesburg hospital.
According to the World Health Organisation, hantavirus spreads through contact with the urine, faeces or saliva of infected rodents, and can also be transmitted through contaminated surfaces.
The Department of Health says 62 individuals have been identified as possible contacts with infected persons. Of these, 42 have been traced and are being monitored.
Some Johannesburg residents say they are not alarmed by the situation.
“I don’t think I am scared, I don’t think as a nation we should freak out,” says one resident.
“We do have experience, I would assume that the government has an eye already on the situation and should respond with caution. I hear about it on national tv, I am not scared about it, I think it is under control,” says another resident.
–SABC–
