The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified the ongoing hantavirus outbreak as a “Level 3” emergency response, the lowest category of emergency activation, according to a report by ABC News on Thursday.
Despite the designation, health authorities said the threat to the wider public remains low, although the outbreak is being closely monitored by the agency.
The activation of the CDC’s Emergency Operation Centers indicates that a dedicated emergency response team has been deployed to coordinate containment and support measures.
Meanwhile, international health officials are intensifying efforts to contain the spread of hantavirus linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship.
According to officials from the World Health Organization, the outbreak involves the Andes strain of hantavirus and has led to five confirmed infections, three suspected cases and three deaths among passengers associated with the voyage.
The MV Hondius, which was carrying about 150 passengers and crew members from 23 different countries, departed from Argentina and crossed the Atlantic Ocean before a cluster of respiratory-related illnesses was reported while the vessel sailed near Cape Verde.
