The European Commission has approved the emergency distribution of an experimental antiviral drug to France, Spain and the Netherlands as authorities respond to a widening hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship.
European health officials confirmed that initial shipments of favipiravir, an antiviral considered a possible treatment for hantavirus infections, are being sent to the affected countries following urgent requests for medical assistance.
According to the Commission, the European Medicines Agency identified favipiravir as the most appropriate treatment option currently available for compassionate use and clinical trial programmes, since there is no approved medication specifically developed for hantavirus infections.
Japanese pharmaceutical firm Fujifilm Pharmaceuticals donated 1,400 tablets of the drug to support emergency response efforts, while the European Union has launched fast-tracked procurement measures to secure additional supplies amid concerns over more potential cases.
So far, health authorities have confirmed 13 hantavirus infections connected to the cruise ship believed to be at the centre of the outbreak. Patients are receiving treatment in France, Spain and the Netherlands, while additional infections have also been reported in Switzerland, the United States and South Africa.
Hantaviruses are mainly transmitted through contact with infected rodents and can cause severe respiratory or kidney-related diseases in humans.
The World Health Organization estimates that up to 100,000 hantavirus infections occur globally each year. Although person-to-person transmission is considered rare, some strains can lead to serious and potentially fatal complications.
Officials confirmed that three people have died since the outbreak began, as European health agencies continue investigations and monitoring efforts aimed at containing the spread of the virus.
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