After reports of two Indian nationals infected with hantavirus aboard MV Hondius cruise ship, Dr Naveen Kumar, director of the ICMR’s National Institute of Virology (NIV), said that there is "no immediate public health threat” to India.Dr Kumar said the outbreak appears to be isolated, and that there is currently no evidence of community spread. He stressed that, unlike COVID-19, hantavirus does not spread easily between humans.“The reported hantavirus cases appear to be isolated ones, and there is no immediate public health threat to India,” he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.According to the World Health Organization, the Indian passengers were among a small cluster of suspected infections identified aboard the ship, with health authorities monitoring contacts and taking precautionary measures.Surveillance Capacity Adequate In India Kumar said India has sufficient laboratory infrastructure to detect suspected hantavirus cases through the ICMR-NIV and the nationwide Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory Network.“India has diagnostic capacity for hantavirus infection through the ICMR-National Institute of Virology and the nationwide Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory Network of 165 labs,” he said.He said symptoms generally appear one to five weeks after exposure. It includesfever, severe body ache, headache, fatigue, nausea, abdominal pain, dry cough.The expert noted that people with severe cases may also suffer from breathing difficulties, low blood pressure, and kidney complications.2 Indians Among Crew On MV Hondius Cruise ShipTwo Indians are among 149 people aboard MV Hondius, the expedition cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak that has so far left three passengers dead and eight others infected, according to a BBC report.The vessel, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, began its journey from Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1 and is currently travelling to Spain's Canary Islands on May 10.According to the World Health Organization, eight people onboard the cruise ship MV Hondius have been infected with hantavirus. Of these, three have died, and five have been confirmed to have the virus. However, more people are likely to be infected, as the disease can take a long time to show symptoms.The luxury cruise ship was carrying around 150 passengers and crew members from 28 countries. The nationalities included 38 people from the Philippines, 31 from the United Kingdom, 23 from the United States, 16 from the Netherlands, 14 from Spain, nine from Germany, six from Canada and two crew members from India, BBC reported.While it is yet not known whether they're infected or not, Dr Puneet Misra, Professor of Community Medicine, AIIMS Delhi, told ANI News Agency that it is likely that the two passengers "might have been exposed to the infection".He added that "there is no pandemic or epidemic threat" with hantavirus. "The public should not worry. There is no need for panic..."Follow this page for all latest updates:Donald Trump Says Hantavirus Is 'Under Control'; Questions Grow Over CDC Research Cuts WHO Says 6-Week Hantavirus Incubation Raises Concern, But No Epidemic Risk Hantavirus Sparks Global Alert As Countries Race To Trace Contacts; WHO Says Risk Low WHO Chief Says 3 Suspected Hantavirus Cases Evacuated to Netherlands: Cases and Death Toll Hantavirus: South African Scientists Identify Strain behind Outbreak On Cruise Ship Hantavirus Outbreak: WHO Flags 6 Suspected Cases; How The Rare Rodent-Borne Virus Spreads WHO Says Suspected Hantavirus Killed 3 on Cruise Ship: Symptoms, Risks, and Prevention