WHO Investigates Possible Hantavirus Human-to-Human Transmission on Cruise Ship
WHO says seven people fell ill and three died aboard the ship, and investigators are testing whether close contacts spread the virus.
- As of May 4, the World Health Organization reported seven hantavirus cases linked to the Dutch-flagged expedition ship MV Hondius, including three deaths; the vessel remains anchored off Cape Verde after authorities denied docking permission.
- Health officials suspect the initial cases contracted the Andes virus via rodent exposure during an Argentine expedition, though WHO Director for Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove said human-to-human transmission among close contacts cannot be ruled out.
- Nearly 150 people, including 88 passengers and 61 crew, are isolating in their cabins while Cape Verdean medical teams provide support; Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed the ship maintains the highest response level with strict hygiene protocols and medical monitoring.
- Authorities are coordinating medical evacuations for three symptomatic individuals to the Netherlands while the ship plans to proceed to the Canary Islands, where Spanish officials are currently reviewing the docking request for disinfection and investigation.
- Experts emphasize human-to-human hantavirus transmission remains rare, posing low risk to the wider public, while South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases is sequencing the virus to confirm the specific strain and guide containment.
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652 Articles
Travel blogger offers glimpse at suffering aboard hantavirus-stricken ship
Boston-based travel blogger Jake Rosmarin is among the approximately 100 people aboard the m/v Hondius, a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean now struggling to contain a deadly hantavirus outbreak. In a tearful video Rosmarin filmed for TikTok, the outside world was asked to remember the “uncertainty” for passengers. "What is happening is very real for us right now," Rosmarin said. "We’re not just a story, we’re not just headlines, we’re people, p…
What Is Hantavirus and How Can We Prevent An Outbreak at Home?
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission. Fears of a new pandemic are spreading following the deaths of three people aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean. At least five passengers on the Dutch vessel MV Hondius were confirmed to have hantavirus (officially Orthohantavirus), a strain of deadly viruses spread through contact with rodents …
Passengers on the MV Hondius were stopped from disembarking in Cape Verde. Now the WHO's representative on the island, Swedish Ann Lindstrand, talks about the fateful days, the first words about the outbreak and the decision.
Four States Are Now Monitoring Potential Hantavirus Cases
Four states are monitoring Americans who returned from a cruise ship where three passengers died during an outbreak of hantavirus. Virginia, Georgia, California, and Arizona all reported that residents of […] The post Four States Are Now Monitoring Potential Hantavirus Cases appeared first on The Western Journal.
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