The World Health Organization has confirmed that five out of eight suspected hantavirus cases linked to a luxury cruise ship outbreak have tested positive, as health authorities intensify efforts to trace passengers and crew who recently disembarked from the vessel.
Speaking during a media briefing, infectious disease epidemiologist at the WHO, Maria van Kerkhove, said the outbreak differs significantly from the COVID-19 pandemic that swept across the globe six years ago.
“It is not the same situation as six years ago with COVID-19, because hantavirus spreads through close, intimate contact,” she said.
The outbreak has been linked to the Dutch expedition cruise vessel, MV Hondius, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions.
According to health authorities, three people have died in connection with the outbreak, including a 69-year-old Dutch woman whose hantavirus infection was confirmed. Her husband, also Dutch, and a German woman later died, although investigations are still ongoing to determine whether their deaths were directly linked to the virus.
The WHO disclosed that the latest outbreak marks the first documented instance of possible person-to-person transmission of hantavirus, a disease traditionally associated with exposure to infected rodents or their bodily fluids.
The MV Hondius reportedly departed from Ushuaia on April 1 and is expected to arrive in the Canary Islands on May 10.
Reports indicate that approximately 150 passengers and crew members from 28 countries were initially aboard the vessel. However, dozens of individuals disembarked on the island of Saint Helena on April 24, prompting concerns among international health agencies over potential further spread.
Authorities are now racing to identify and monitor individuals who may have come into close contact with infected passengers as investigations into the outbreak continue.
