Moderna shares surged on Monday after the pharmaceutical company revealed it had been conducting preliminary research into vaccines against hantaviruses, the virus responsible for a recent outbreak on a cruise ship.
Moderna's Vaccine Research
According to a Bloomberg report last week, Moderna had been working on hantavirus vaccine research prior to the outbreak on the MV Hondius. The company stated that these efforts are early-stage and ongoing, reflecting its broader responsibility to develop countermeasures against emerging infectious diseases. Moderna's shares rose nearly 6 percent when markets opened on Monday, as reported by CNBC.
The Independent has contacted Moderna for further comment.
Hantavirus Outbreak on MV Hondius
The World Health Organization received reports of a respiratory illness outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship on May 2, later identified as the Andes variant of hantavirus. The outbreak has raised public concern, although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that the overall risk to the American public and travelers remains extremely low.
Health officials confirmed on Monday that there have been at least seven confirmed cases linked to the outbreak, with at least three deaths. Symptoms of hantavirus can take four to 42 days to appear and include fatigue, fever, muscle aches, headaches, dizziness, chills, and stomach problems. According to the CDC, about 38 percent of patients who develop respiratory symptoms may die from the disease.
Current Status of the Ship
Over the weekend, the MV Hondius docked off the Spanish island of Tenerife. Nearly all passengers and crew have returned home, and the ship is expected to depart for the Netherlands on Monday evening, according to the New York Times.
The cruise ship was carrying 17 Americans, one of whom tested mildly PCR positive for the Andes virus, the Department of Health and Human Services said on Sunday evening. A second American also began showing mild symptoms. The agency stated that an airlift would transport passengers to the ASPR Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska, before taking the passenger with mild symptoms to a second facility at its final destination. Upon arrival, each individual will undergo clinical assessment and receive appropriate care and support based on their condition.
