France’s health minister Stephanie Rist said Tuesday that authorities have not yet determined whether a mutation has occurred in the hantavirus strain detected aboard the cruise ship Hondius, adding that the situation is being monitored with cautious reassurance.
Speaking before the French National Assembly, Rist said uncertainty remains regarding certain aspects of the virus, noting that the absence of a complete genetic sequencing prevents authorities from ruling out a possible mutation, despite relatively reassuring indicators so far.
The minister emphasized that health officials continue to closely track developments as further scientific analysis is conducted.
For its part, the World Health Organization sought to ease concerns about the outbreak escalating into an epidemic or pandemic, stating that no unusual characteristics have been identified in the detected hantavirus strain.
The WHO added that the only atypical factor in the case is the location of the outbreak, which emerged aboard a cruise ship rather than in more common transmission settings.
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