Deadly Hantavirus Reaches Israel from Eastern Europe

Israel has diagnosed its first confirmed case of hantavirus, Maariv reported Thursday, after a patient who had recently spent time in Eastern Europe developed symptoms associated with the disease.

The patient underwent an antibody test that indicated exposure to hantavirus, followed by a PCR test that confirmed the infection by detecting the virus’s genetic material. Details about the patient, place of residence and treating medical center have not yet been released.

The patient is reportedly in stable condition, does not require intensive care or strict isolation, and remains under medical observation. The case has been reported to the Health Ministry.

Although hantavirus is rare in Israel, Israelis have previously been suspected of contracting the virus abroad, including several cases linked to travel in South America about a decade ago. In the current case, the patient was infected with a European strain, not the South American Andes strain currently linked to an outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship.

That distinction is important because the Andes strain, found mainly in Argentina and Chile, is the only hantavirus strain for which rare person-to-person transmission has been documented. Most other hantavirus strains are spread primarily from rodents to humans through exposure to infected urine, feces or saliva.

The MV Hondius outbreak has drawn international concern after several confirmed or suspected cases were reported among passengers. Three passengers, a Dutch couple and a German citizen, have died. The ship, which departed from Ushuaia in southern Argentina on April 1 and traveled through Antarctica and remote South Atlantic islands, later anchored off Cape Verde after severe respiratory illness was reported onboard.

Health authorities in several countries are tracing passengers from the voyage. The World Health Organization has said the risk to the general public remains low and that there is no evidence the virus spreads through ordinary daily contact.

Hantavirus infection can begin with symptoms resembling a common viral illness, including fever, chills, muscle aches, headache, weakness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or abdominal pain. Some strains can later cause severe lung complications, while others, especially in Europe and Asia, can lead to kidney damage, low blood pressure and, in some cases, internal bleeding.

There is no proven antiviral treatment for most hantavirus cases. Treatment is mainly supportive and may include monitoring, oxygen, careful fluid management, blood pressure support, kidney support and intensive care in severe cases.

Health officials say prevention centers on avoiding rodent exposure, sealing openings in homes and storage areas, keeping food in closed containers, and avoiding dry sweeping or vacuuming rodent droppings, which can send infected particles into the air.