WHO Confirms 3 Deaths, 8 Hantavirus Cases Linked To Dutch-Flagged Cruise Ship MV Hondius

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported a cluster of hantavirus cases linked to the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius, which travelled from Argentina to Cabo Verde. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus provided an update on it and said eight cases of severe respiratory illness have been identified so far, including three deaths.

According to the WHO, five of the eight cases have been confirmed as hantavirus infections, while the remaining three are suspected. The virus involved is the Andes virus, a hantavirus species found in Latin America that is known for limited human-to-human transmission.

Dr Tedros said that the United Kingdom notified the WHO about the outbreak under the International Health Regulations after passengers aboard the cruise ship developed severe respiratory symptoms. The first known patient developed symptoms on April 6.

As his illness resembled other respiratory infections, hantavirus was initially not suspected and no samples were collected. He died aboard the ship on April 11. His wife, who disembarked on the island of St Helena, was also reported to be symptomatic. She deteriorated during a flight to Johannesburg on the 25th of April and died the next day.

The WHO noted that previous Andes virus outbreaks have shown that human-to-human transmission can occur during close and prolonged contact, particularly among family members, intimate partners, and healthcare workers.

It provided an update on the first two patients and said that they had travelled through Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay on a bird-watching trip before boarding the cruise ship. The trip reportedly included visits to areas inhabited by the rat species known to carry the Andes virus.

The WHO further said that two of the infected passengers are currently in a stable condition in hospital, while another, who is asymptomatic, is now in Germany. The eighth case involved a man who disembarked in Saint Helena. Following advice from the ship's operator, he reported himself with symptoms in Zurich, Switzerland, where he was later confirmed to be infected with hantavirus.

WHO added that none of the remaining passengers or crew aboard the ship are currently showing symptoms.

It further noted that it has alerted 12 countries whose nationals disembarked in Saint Helena - Canada, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

Meanwhile, a probe into the source of the outbreak is continuing.