The World Health Organization (WHO) announced today that there are no indications of a larger hantavirus outbreak following an incident aboard a Dutch-flagged cruise ship. The WHO update revealed that 11 cases have been reported, with nine confirmed, among passengers and crew. Tragically, three individuals have died due to the virus.
The outbreak began when the ship, which departed Argentina on April 1, experienced a cluster of severe respiratory illnesses. The first case involved an adult male who had traveled extensively in South America before boarding. He developed symptoms on April 6 and died on April 11. Subsequent cases were linked to close contacts and included passengers who disembarked in St. Helena and Tristan da Cunha.
According to the WHO, the risk to the public remains low. Sixteen American passengers are currently quarantined in Nebraska, while two others are in Atlanta. The Department of Health and Human Services has stated that the Andes variant of the virus does not spread easily and requires prolonged close contact with symptomatic individuals.
The cruise ship arrived in Tenerife, Spain, where passengers began repatriating. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has assessed the risk to the EU population as very low, given the absence of the virus’s natural rodent reservoir in Europe.
The WHO continues to investigate the outbreak’s origin, focusing on potential exposure during a bird-watching trip in Argentina. The organization emphasizes the importance of infection prevention and control measures to minimize further transmission.
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