A luxury cruise ship, MV Hondius, has been at the centre of an international health scare since Saturday, 3 May, when the UN's health agency was informed that three passengers had died and the suspected cause was hantavirus.
The outbreak of the rare rodent-borne illness aboard the cruise ship left three passengers dead and sickened others. The hantavirus infection may have come from Argentina, the Associated Press reported.
1. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that as of 6 May, there are eight cases, three of whom are confirmed as hantavirus by laboratory testing.
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Hantavirus is a serious, sometimes deadly, respiratory disease caused by contact with infected rodents, primarily through their droppings, urine, or saliva. On a cruise ship, the risk of spread increases due to close quarters and prolonged interactions between passengers, potentially leading to airborne particles or direct contact.
The strain of hantavirus identified on the MV Hondius cruise ship was the Andes hantavirus. This strain is typically found in Argentina and Chile and is known to be capable of spreading between people, although this is rare.
Symptoms of hantavirus infection typically begin one to eight weeks after exposure and can include fever, muscle aches, headaches, gastrointestinal issues, and shortness of breath. In severe cases, it can progress to respiratory failure.
Global health officials state that the risk to the general public from the cruise ship outbreak is considered low. Hantavirus does not easily spread between people, and person-to-person transmission is very rare and occurs only under specific conditions involving very close contact.
There is no specific treatment for hantavirus infection. Current therapy focuses on supportive care, such as rest, fluids, and potentially breathing support like a ventilator, to manage severe symptoms.
"Since 1 April, when the boat set sail, of the 147 passengers and crew, 7 people have become ill, among whom 3 have died, 1 is critically ill and 3 are reporting mild symptoms," the WHO said on 5 May.
2. The cruise operator said that on 1 April, a total of 114 guests boarded the vessel before it left Ushuaia in Argentina for the cruise across the Atlantic Ocean to Cape Verde.
A total of 30 passengers had left the Hondius on 24 April during its call at the remote British island of Saint Helena, the cruise ship's Dutch operator was quoted by AFP as saying.
The news raised concerns that the virus could spread as travellers returned home, although experts say the risk to the wider public is considered low.
3. The company said that all people who left the ship had been contacted.
"We are working to establish details of all passengers and crew who embarked and disembarked on various stops of MV Hondius since 20 March," it added.
Detailed investigations of the virus outbreak on the cruise ship are ongoing, notably to determine its source.
4. Where did the hantavirus on the cruise ship come from? Investigators in Argentina suspect that the cases were initially contracted during a birdwatching trip in Ushuaia, at the country's southern tip, two officials told AP.
Argentina has seen a surge of hantavirus cases that many local public health researchers attribute to climate change. Officials reportedly found evidence of Andes virus, a version of hantavirus found in South America.
The virus is spread by rodents and, more rarely, people
5. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he is "hosting a media briefing on #hantavirus today at 15:00h CEST. You can join and watch via @WHO and my social media channels across X, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube."
6. The WHO said on Wednesday that Swiss authorities confirmed a "case of hantavirus identified in a passenger from the MV Hondius cruise ship."
"He had responded to an email from the ship’s operator informing the passengers of the health event, and presented himself to a hospital in Zurich, Switzerland, and is receiving care," the WHO posted on X.
It added, "In line with the International Health Regulations (IHR), WHO is working with relevant countries to support international contact tracing, to ensure that those potentially exposed are monitored and that any further disease spread is limited."
7. Fox News reported on Thursday that the cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak is on the way to the Canary Islands to allow officials to inspect the vessel.
8. What is Hantavirus? Hantavirus infections are typically linked to environmental exposure (exposure to infected rodents’ urine or faeces), the WHO says.
Meanwhile, the South African government explains that hantavirus is a “serious, and sometimes deadly, respiratory disease caused by contact with infected rodents, through their droppings, urine, or saliva.”
9. Can hantavirus spread through person-to-person contact? While rare, hantavirus may spread between people and can lead to severe respiratory illness requiring careful patient monitoring, support and response, the WHO said.
"Person-to-person transmission is very rare and only occurs under specific conditions involving very close contact with an infected individual," the South African government said.
10. Is the risk high for the general public? Global health officials say the risk to the general public remains low because the germ does not easily spread between people.
"This is not the next COVID, but it is a serious infectious disease," said Maria Van Kerkhove, director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness at the World Health Organisation. "Most people will never be exposed to this."
