Health officials monitor hantavirus cruise ship outbreak

The president added that health officials are closely monitoring the situation.

(CNN)- President Donald Trump says he has been briefed on the hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship currently sailing in the Atlantic Ocean.

“It’s very much we hope under control,” Trump said Thursday. “It was the ship and I think we’re going to make a full report about it tomorrow.”

The president added that health officials are closely monitoring the situation.

“We have a lot of people, there’s a lot of great people studying it. It should be fine,” Trump said.

Health officials across multiple countries are now monitoring individuals connected to the outbreak, including several people in at least five U.S. states.

Virginia Health Commissioner Dr. Cameron Webb said early communication and close monitoring remain critical.

“I think the key for us is making sure we’re in touch early and often,” Webb said. “As we’re monitoring really closely, that way we’re able to really wrap the public health apparatus around them and do the work that we know how to do.”

According to cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions, 146 people from 23 countries remain on board the ship.

The vessel is expected to arrive in Spain’s Canary Islands this weekend, where passengers will then be flown back to their home countries.

Hantavirus is typically spread through contact with infected rodent droppings, usually from mice.

However, health officials say this outbreak appears linked to a rare strain that may allow limited human-to-human transmission in some cases.

Despite concerns sparked by memories of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization says there is currently no evidence of widespread transmission risk.

“This is not the start of a COVID pandemic,” said Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, acting director for epidemic and pandemic threat management at the WHO. “This is not the same situation we were in six years ago. It doesn’t spread the same way.”