Four people quarantined in Italy over suspected hantavirus infection all tested negative, including a 25-year-old man from Calabria, a British tourist in Milan with a companion, and an Argentine tourist hospitalized in Sicily, officials said [1, 2]. The Calabrian man was isolated after brief contact on April 25 aboard a flight with a Dutch woman who later died from hantavirus [2]. The Argentine tourist arrived on April 30 from a hantavirus-endemic region in Argentina and was hospitalized with pneumonia in Sicily [2].
The Italian health ministry, along with hospitals in Rome and Milan, conducted multiple tests on these suspected cases to rule out infection [1, 2]. Spallanzani hospital in Rome confirmed the Calabrian man tested negative on May 13, easing concerns locally [1]. The health ministry stated, "The risk connected with the virus remains very low in Europe and therefore also in Italy" [2].
Hantavirus primarily spreads through contact with infected rodents, though human-to-human transmission is rare. Symptoms can appear one to eight weeks after exposure [2]. The current outbreak has been linked to the MV Hondius ship that docked in the Canary Islands after completing a polar expedition from Argentina [2].
The World Health Organization has confirmed nine cases in this outbreak, with three deaths reported—a Dutch couple and a German national [2]. WHO has not classified the situation as a pandemic [2].
Authorities in Italy continue to monitor travelers arriving from endemic areas. The negative results of the four suspected cases help maintain vigilance without raising alarm. Further testing is ongoing where warranted by exposure history or symptoms.
