The announcement came after the final contact of an infected individual on the cruise ship MV Hondius successfully completed quarantine and tested negative for the virus. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed during a press briefing that no new cases have been reported since May 25th. In total, the outbreak saw 13 confirmed cases and three fatalities, prompting health officials to track and monitor more than 650 contacts across 33 countries and territories, News.Az reports, citing Anadolu Agency.
While the immediate threat has passed, the WHO isn’t letting its guard down. The organization is currently spearheading a collaborative study across 21 countries to better understand how hantavirus develops. This global effort aims to fast-track the creation of advanced diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines to prevent future outbreaks.
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As one health crisis closes, others are rapidly escalating. Ghebreyesus highlighted a worrying surge in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where an ongoing Ebola outbreak is averaging 38 new confirmed cases every single day. The toll has reached 1,406 confirmed cases and 438 deaths. In response, the WHO has boosted testing across 10 laboratories, expanded treatment centers to 650 beds, and launched clinical trials for two new therapeutics.
Meanwhile, a devastating humanitarian disaster is unfolding in Venezuela following recent earthquakes. The disaster has claimed 2,300 lives, injured 5,000 people, and left nearly 16,000 homeless. To aid the buckling Venezuelan healthcare system, the WHO has deployed $1.5 million from its emergency contingency fund alongside six metric tons of medical supplies, with another 28 metric tons on the way.
