WHO warns of more hantavirus cases from cruise ship outbreak but expects spread to be limited

The World Health Organization warned Thursday that more hantavirus cases may emerge from a cluster linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius, but said the outbreak was expected to remain limited if public health measures are followed. Three passengers have died and eight cases, five confirmed and three suspected, have been reported across multiple countries. A fourth sick passenger was evacuated to Amsterdam on Thursday as the ship headed to Tenerife.

What is the hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship?

The MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak involves the Andes virus, a rare hantavirus strain that can spread between humans. As of Thursday, eight cases have been reported, including three deaths, across passengers in Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and South Africa. The WHO described the public health risk as low but cautioned that more cases could still appear.

How many hantavirus cases have been confirmed so far?

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told journalists in Geneva that five cases had been confirmed and three more were suspected, including the three deaths. A further patient tested positive later on Thursday, announced by the Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands. "Given the incubation period of the Andes virus, which can be up to six weeks, it's possible that more cases may be reported," Tedros said.

Despite the warning, WHO officials were firm that the outbreak did not signal a wider threat. "This is not the start of an epidemic. This is not the start of a pandemic," said WHO epidemic and pandemic preparedness director Maria Van Kerkhove. "This is not Covid."

How did cruise ship passengers contract hantavirus?

A passenger is believed to have contracted the virus before boarding the ship in Ushuaia, Argentina, and subsequently infected others during the Atlantic crossing. Hantavirus is ordinarily spread through contact with infected rodents, but the Andes strain is rare in that it can also pass between humans. Argentine officials said they planned to test rodents in Ushuaia, from where the Hondius departed on April 1.

The first known case was a Dutch man who boarded in Ushuaia with his wife and died aboard the ship on April 11. His body was removed at Saint Helena, a south Atlantic island where 29 other passengers also disembarked. His wife, who left the ship to accompany his body to South Africa, died there 15 days later after testing positive for hantavirus on May 4.

Which countries are affected by the cruise ship hantavirus outbreak?

Cases and suspected infections have been identified in Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and South Africa. The WHO said it had notified 12 countries whose nationals disembarked from the Hondius at Saint Helena. Two people who returned to the UK were advised to self-isolate; the UK Health Security Agency said both were asymptomatic and that the risk to the public was "very low."

A German passenger died on May 2, and her body remains on the ship. The vessel's operator, Netherlands-based Oceanwide Expeditions, said no symptomatic individuals were on board as it sailed toward Tenerife. It confirmed it was working to establish the details of all passengers and crew who had boarded or disembarked at any stop since March 20.

What is hantavirus and why is the Andes strain different?

Hantavirus is a rare respiratory disease typically spread by infected rodents that can cause severe respiratory distress, cardiac complications and haemorrhagic fevers. There are no vaccines and no known cure; treatment focuses on managing symptoms. The Andes virus is an uncommon strain distinguished by its capacity for human-to-human transmission, which is why health officials are monitoring close contacts of those infected.

WHO emergency alert director Abdi Rahman Mahamud said: "We believe this will be a limited outbreak if the public health measures are implemented and solidarity shown across all countries." Officials were also working to trace passengers on a commercial Airlink flight from Saint Helena to Johannesburg that the Dutch woman boarded while showing symptoms. The flight carried 82 passengers and six crew.