Finland designates Andes virus-related illness as ‘public health risk’

Finland has classified the illness caused by the Andes strain of hantavirus as a "public health risk," following possible exposure cases reported in the country, public broadcaster YLE reported Tuesday.

The designation allows compensation for people required to stay away from work after possible exposure to the virus.

Finnish Social Security Minister Sanni Grahn-Laasonen said authorities nevertheless consider the current risk level limited.

The virus poses "a very small public health risk at the moment,” she said.

The decision follows reports by Finland’s Institute for Health and Welfare that two people may have been exposed to hantavirus during a flight last month.

The outbreak, involving the Andes strain of hantavirus, has resulted in five confirmed cases, including three deaths, according to officials from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Scientists confirmed the outbreak was caused by the rare Andes variant of hantavirus, the only known strain capable of human-to-human transmission, usually through close contact.

The WHO said two passengers who later died had traveled through Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay, before boarding the hantavirus-affected cruise ship MV Hondius.