Human to human hantavirus transmission suspected on ship: WHO
The World Health Organisation said on Tuesday that it suspects some rare human-to-human transmission took place between very close contacts on board a luxury cruise ship hit by seven confirmed or suspected hantavirus cases.
Human-to-human transmission is not common, and the UN health agency reiterated that the risk to the wider public was low from a disease typically spread from contact with infected rodents.
A Dutch couple and a German national have died, while a British national was evacuated from the ship and is in intensive care in South Africa, officials said. Two crew members require urgent medical care, the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius ship’s operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, said. Another person on board with a suspected case has only reported a mild fever.
Ceasefire ‘not over’ says Hegseth as UAE sounds alarm
The United Arab Emirates said it was under fresh attack from Iranian missiles and drones, even as Washington said a shaky ceasefire was intact despite an exchange of fire the previous day as US forces attempted to force open the Strait of Hormuz.
The US military said it had destroyed six Iranian small boats, as well as cruise missiles and drones, after President Donald Trump sent the navy to escort stranded tankers through the strait in a campaign he called “Project Freedom”.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the operation to protect commercial ships was temporary and the four-week-old truce was “not over”.
“We’re not looking for a fight,” Hegseth told a press conference on Tuesday (US time). “Right now the ceasefire certainly holds, but we’re going to be watching very, very closely.”
What you need to know
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Here’s what you need to know:
- On Tuesday, the Reserve Bank lifted interest rates for the third time this year (to 4.35 per cent) as insurance against rising inflation from the Iran war, pushing rates to their highest level in nearly 18 months.
- The United Arab Emirates said it was again under attack from Iranian missiles and drones, shortly after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth insisted the ceasefire was “not over”.
- The World Health Organisation suspects some rare human-to-human transmission took place between very close contacts on board the MV Hondius cruise ship hit by an outbreak of hantavirus. A Dutch couple and a German national have died, while a British national was evacuated from the ship and is in intensive care in South Africa, officials said. There are three more suspected cases. Four Australians are among almost 150 people stranded on the vessel.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
