FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Health authorities across several countries are racing to trace and contain a hantavirus outbreak after the World Health Organization confirmed several infections connected to a cruise where the outbreak occurred.
Kentucky's top health officials say there is currently no reason for concern.
Dr. Stephen Stack, Kentucky's former health commissioner and current secretary of the state's Health Cabinet, said he does not believe the hantavirus situation poses a significant risk to the population at large.
"There is no reason to believe that this will turn into a larger risk or something like Covid," Stack said.
Stack said part of the reason for that assessment is the nature of the virus itself.
"The sad reason for that is that people who get the infection, unfortunately, have a very, very high mortality rate," said Stack.
Stack also noted that the outbreak occurred in a highly contained setting — a cruise where all passengers are known and can be traced. Health authorities from several countries are actively working to do exactly that.
"So what will end up happening here because this has happened in a very contained way and all the people involved are known, they'll all be given very specific instructions, very specific guidance and they'll all be monitored individually for a prolonged period of time."
The World Health Organization also says the outbreak remains a low risk to the general public.
