WHO confirms five hantavirus cases on cruise ship; more expected due to long incubation period
WHO says the Andes strain is involved, and health officials are tracing passengers as the public risk remains low.
- On Thursday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported five confirmed hantavirus cases and three deaths linked to the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius, which traveled from Argentina to Cape Verde with eight total cases identified.
- Last Saturday, the United Kingdom notified the WHO of severe respiratory illness aboard the ship under International Health Regulations; health experts identified the outbreak as the Andes virus, a rodent-borne strain that rarely spreads between humans.
- About 146 passengers and crew from 23 countries remain under strict isolation with cabin confinement and medical masking; WHO epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove stated, "This is not COVID, not influenza. It operates very, very differently."
- Two patients were evacuated to the Netherlands in serious condition, while health authorities in Switzerland and Canada initiated contact tracing; investigations are ongoing to determine the full extent of transmission across disembarked passengers.
- Given the Andes virus's six-week incubation period, more cases may emerge in coming weeks; however, the WHO currently assesses the overall public health risk as low, maintaining international coordination under established health protocols.
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The Andes variant, the only one capable of human-to-human transmission, is concerned despite a risk considered low by the WHO.
The cruise ship is on its way to Spain. WHO calms down with regard to the transferability of the Hanta infection.
Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said regarding the eight cases of hantavirus infection on the cruise ship "MV Hondius" that the WHO assesses it as a low risk to public health, the organization announced.
Is Hantavirus in the US? MV Hondius Outbreak Triggers Fear of Another Pandemic
The escalating health crisis aboard the expedition cruise ship MV Hondius has triggered a wave of concern as health officials continue to investigate and contain the rare but deadly hantavirus that has already claimed three lives. While the maritime tragedy has triggered trending fears of a burgeoning pandemic, global health authorities are moving quickly to provide clarity on the actual risk to the United States and the wider public. MV Hondius…
According to virologist Klaus Stöhr, the risk posed by the hantavirus is still low. A pandemic is not to be expected. The decisive factor is the consistent monitoring and isolation of the contact persons as well as a stronger focus on the importance of zoonoses.
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