Human-to-human transmission suspected on board hantavirus cruise ship, WHO says
- 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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A passenger of the MV Hondius is infected by the Andes strain, transmissible between humans, announced the South African Minister of Health on Wednesday 6 May. Since 11 April, three people have died. A couple of Dutch seven-year-olds and a person of German nationality. Three...
Spain will host the MV Hondius cruise ship in the Canary Islands, affected by an outbreak of hantavirus, following a request from the World Health Organization (WHO).The measure is taken for humanitarian reasons and in compliance with international law, according to the Ministry of Health.In addition, the Spanish Government has agreed to host a doctor from the ship that is in serious condition, at the request of the Netherlands.He will be evacua…
There are about 150 passengers on the ship. Three passengers are currently being evacuated, two of whom are sick.
The variant that circulates on the cruise, which has left three dead, is transmitted among humans, something that scientists discovered after an outbreak in 1996
Health agencies are on high alert after several cases of hantavirus infection were reported on a cruise ship. Experts are investigating the spread of the infection and the possible role of the Andes subtype.
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