Hantavirus | Sichuan influencer previously appeared on a pandemic-affected cruise ship, officials say no symptoms detected

A hantavirus outbreak has broken out aboard the Holland America Line cruise ship Westerdam. It was recently reported that a social media influencer from Yibin in Sichuan had taken this cruise to Antarctica and disembarked at the end of March. The Yibin City Center for Disease Control and Prevention said that the man involved has had no related symptoms since getting off the ship. The cruise’s first case boarded the ship on April 1, and there was no overlap in time or space between the two people.

An adventure influencer named Chen Yong, who goes by the online name “Mike Chen Meng,” previously told Chengdu media that he boarded Westerdam in Ushuaia, Argentina, to travel to Antarctica on March 20, and returned to Ushuaia to disembark and leave the ship on March 31. He has been off the cruise for 37 days, and during that time he has not experienced any physical discomfort.

CCTV News said that, regarding the related online rumors, the Yibin City Center for Disease Prevention and Control issued a statement yesterday (the 9th) stating that, after verification, Chen, who is from Yibin, disembarked on March 31, while the first case aboard the cruise boarded on April 1, and the two had no time or space overlap.

The statement said that the center collected and tested samples from Chen and his family. The hantavirus nucleic acid test results were all negative. Based on expert assessment, Chen has no risk of infection and no risk of community transmission.

In addition, the World Health Organization reported today that there are currently 6 cumulative confirmed cases, including 3 deaths, and there are also 2 suspected cases.