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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514 Articles
WHO confirms Andes strain in MV Hondius outbreak and traces 23 passengers who disembarked at Saint Helena
The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed on Wednesday that the variant responsible for the hantavirus outbreak aboard polar cruise ship MV Hondius is the Andes virus, the only documented strain capable of human-to-human transmission, raised the total number of linked cases to eight, and launched the international tracing of 23 passengers who left the ship two weeks ago during a stop at the island of Saint Helena. The confirmation of the str…
The South African Ministry of Health reported that the Andean strain of the virus was found in two confirmed cases linked to the outbreak
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…
MichaelSavage.com – Deadly cruise ship rat virus reaches Switzerland as Canary Islands refuses to let vessel dock after three died aboard and Cape Verde turned it away
The deadly hantavirus outbreak causing turmoil on a cruise ship has reached Switzerland, after a man infected with the rat-borne illness arrived in Zurich for treatment. It comes as the Canary Islands refused to let the luxury MV Hondius dock on the archipelago, fearing an outbreak in the community after the rare disease left three…
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