Tuesday, 16 June 2026, 14:00–15:00 (CEST)
Background
Infection prevention and control (IPC) practices have evolved significantly in recent years, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing outbreaks of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. While substantial guidance exists on the initiation of isolation and IPC measures, there remains limited operational clarity on:
- Criteria for safe patient discharge
- Timing and approach for discontinuation of transmission-based precautions (TBP)
- Implementation of IPC measures in quarantine settings, especially in resource-constrained or community environments
On 22 May 2026, WHO hosted the 2nd EPI-WIN webinar, addressing the natural history of the virus, provided updates on the clinical care and management of cases, including supportive care approaches and potential therapeutics, and presented infection prevention and control (IPC) recommended for the management of suspected or confirmed Hantavirus cases.
Based on the available information and the existing observations of the current outbreak, limited human-to-human transmission of Andes virus (ANDV) is known to occur. While the available evidence suggests that there are multiple modes of transmission that occur with ANDV, the probability of onward transmission between humans remains low. In this recent outbreak of ANDV infection reported on a cruise ship, human-to-human transmission has also occurred. Considering the ongoing epidemiological studies and environmental sampling after the disembarkation of all passengers from MV Hondius, the exact mode(s) through which human-to-human transmission occurred and their relative contributions are yet to be fully understood.
Therefore, at present, WHO is operating under the assumption that ANDV transmission:
- may include contact with an infected individual or contaminated surfaces,
- and/or through-the-air transmission (via direct deposition of infectious respiratory particles onto exposed facial mucosal surfaces--mouth, nose or eyes)
- and/or airborne transmission (via inhalation of infectious respiratory particles).
The virus does not exhibit transmission dynamics consistent with highly transmissible airborne pathogens (such as measles).
In the light of the above, and despite the available clinical management and IPC resources, there is limited detailed operational guidance on:
- When to safely discontinue transmission-based precautions
- How to approach discharge decisions
- How to implement IPC effectively in quarantine settings
Objectives
- Share principles guiding safe discharge of hantavirus patients
- Describe the application of risk-based approaches to discontinuation of transmission-based precautions
- Describe IPC strategies for quarantine and contact management, including home and facility settings
- Share operational challenges and lessons learned.
Agenda and Speakers
Introduction: EPI-WIN Science and Knowledge Translation, WHO
Welcome remarks: Ana Paula Continho Rehse, Technical Officer (Infection Prevention and Control), WHO Regional Office for the European Region (EURO) and Tania Kelly, Case Management Expert, Safe and Scalable Care, Case Humanitarian and Disaster Management department, WHO Health Emergencies Programme (WHE)
When Is It Safe to Stop? What to consider when developing criteria for De-escalation of Transmission-Based Precautions: Speaker TBC
Hantavirus transmission and IPC implications: operationalizing a risk-based approach with insights from Switzerland: Walter Zingg, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich
Q&A panel:
Marcela Ferres, Director, Infectious Diseases and Molecular Virology Laboratory, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago
Katherine Willet, Medical Director, National Quarantine Unit, Nebraska, USA
Karin Ellen Veldkamp, Head and Chair of Infection Control, Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
Octavio Arce Garcia, High Level Isolation Unit, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Central de la Defensa "Gómez Ulla", Madrid, Spain
Closing and next EPI-WIN: EPI-WIN Science and Knowledge Translation, WHO