This is not coronavirus, this is a very different virus. A global contact-tracing effort is underway following a hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius, which has resulted in three deaths. Health agencies in multiple countries are working to locate passengers who disembarked, as the Andean strain of hantavirus, capable of rare human-to-human transmission, has been detected. While authorities are monitoring and testing individuals who were on the ship or in contact with those infected, the immediate risk to the general public is considered extremely low.
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Argentine officials are investigating a deadly hantavirus outbreak among passengers aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship, which departed from Ushuaia, a region with the highest incidence of the rodent-borne disease in Latin America. Investigations aim to trace the source of contamination, with particular focus on passengers’ travel within Argentina prior to boarding. The Andes virus, responsible for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, has caused three deaths among passengers, with others in critical condition or testing positive in various countries. Climate change is also being cited as a factor potentially accelerating the spread of hantavirus due to shifting rodent habitats.
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A traveler returning from South America has tested positive for Andes virus hantavirus in Switzerland, prompting isolation and testing at the University Hospital Zurich. While this strain of hantavirus can transmit between people in rare, close-contact instances, the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) assesses the risk to the general public as low. The patient’s wife, currently asymptomatic, is also self-isolating as authorities investigate potential contacts.
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Three individuals, including a British crew member, a Dutch colleague, and another passenger, have been medically evacuated from the cruise ship MV Hondius due to suspected hantavirus. This evacuation, coordinated by the World Health Organization and national authorities, allows the ship to continue its journey to the Canary Islands. While four individuals from the ship have died and another is in intensive care, the WHO maintains that the overall public health risk remains low, with human-to-human transmission being rare. Contact tracing efforts are underway for identified contacts, none of whom have been diagnosed thus far.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) has indicated that human-to-human transmission of hantavirus cannot be ruled out aboard the MV Hondius, which is currently off the coast of Cape Verde. Three deaths and several illnesses have been attributed to the outbreak, with authorities emphasizing a low risk to the wider public. The ship, carrying nearly 150 people, is undergoing medical evacuations and is expected to sail to the Canary Islands for a full investigation and disinfection. While the exact source of the outbreak is unclear, contact with infected rodents is the typical mode of transmission, though the Andes virus strain, suspected in this case, can spread between close human contacts.
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John Q. Hosedrinker