Hantavirus Alert: Morocco Strengthens Border Surveillance

The alert originated from the Canary Islands. On Sunday, Spain evacuated around a hundred passengers and crew members from the cruise ship "MV Hondius " docked in Tenerife, where four cases of contamination were confirmed. Faced with this situation, Moroccan authorities are showing particular calm. According to the director of epidemiology at the Ministry of Health, Mohamed Lyoubi, questioned by Hespress, the danger of the disease arriving in the country is "very low, close to zero". He clarifies that no Moroccan nationals were on board and that no traveler involved plans to travel to the Kingdom.

On Bladi.net : Hantavirus Morocco Border Surveillance Alert

Despite this reassuring assessment, the country has chosen to anticipate. A reinforced health control system has been deployed in various ports and airports, with particular attention paid to infrastructure in the north. The authorities of the Tangier-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma region have moreover multiplied prevention meetings last week. These precautionary measures are essentially aimed at testing the responsiveness of national institutions in the face of a possible evolution of the situation internationally.

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The scientific community is well acquainted with this pathogenic agent. "This is not an emerging virus," insists Mohamed Lyoubi. Nevertheless, the strain detected on the ship, called Andes Hantavirus, is subject to rigorous monitoring by the World Health Organization (WHO) due to its potential transmission between humans. With a long incubation period that can stretch from six to eight weeks, countries concerned with the repatriation of contact travelers are multiplying screening and isolation operations to prevent any spread.