Israeli Minister of Transport and Road Safety Miri Regev on Monday convened an initial discussion regarding the recent hantavirus outbreak, her office told JNS.
Regev instructed her ministry to prepare measures aimed at preventing the virus from spreading into the Jewish state through border crossings or airports, according to the statement.
A special team headed by ministry Director-General Moshe Ben-Zaken will coordinate with the Health Ministry on the issue.
“At the moment there is no concern, but we are preparing all systems in advance,” the statement added.
Hantavirus is a rare rodent-borne disease that is typically transmitted when people inhale airborne particles contaminated by rodent droppings. In severe cases, it can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a severe and sometimes deadly lung infection.
The World Health Organization announced on May 4 that at least seven cases, including three deaths, had been linked to a recent outbreak aboard a cruise ship. The outbreak involved the Andes strain of hantavirus, a rare strain capable of human-to-human transmission.
Health authorities across Europe and the United States have since monitored and quarantined exposed passengers, while officials stressed that the overall public health risk remains low.
Israel’s Health Ministry announced on Tuesday morning that no Israelis were aboard the MV Hondius and that, at this stage, no citizens of the Jewish state have been identified among those who had contact with infected passengers.
The ministry said it remained in continuous contact with the WHO, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and other global bodies.
“Based on the information currently available, and according to assessments by all relevant authorities, the risk of widespread global transmission and of the disease reaching Israel in particular is considered extremely low,” the ministry said.
“The Health Ministry continues to monitor developments and will provide updates as required,” it added.
