Hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship: deaths and new cases confirmed. Several cases of hantavirus, including three deaths, have been reported on the MV Hondius cruise ship. Authorities from different countries are conducting an urgent investigation and tracking passenger contacts. The risk to the general public is currently considered low.
An outbreak of hantavirus has been reported on the cruise ship MV Hondius, which was traveling between Africa and Europe, resulting in the deaths of three people and infecting several other passengers and crew members. According to the World Health Organization, six cases of the disease have been confirmed, with two more considered suspected. Authorities in several countries are urgently conducting epidemiological investigations and tracing contacts to prevent further spread of the infection.
Investigation and Measures
The ship, carrying 87 passengers and 60 crew members from 24 countries, is currently heading for the Canary Islands. Among the passengers are 17 US citizens, as well as residents of the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, and other countries. After the first cases were detected, authorities began mass testing and isolation of contacts. Special attention is being paid to passengers who disembarked at the end of April on the island of Saint Helena and other ports, as well as those who flew to Johannesburg and Europe with the infected individuals.
Details of the Infection
The first case was reported on April 6, when a 70-year-old Dutch citizen fell ill aboard the MV Hondius. He died a few days later, and his wife, who was also infected, passed away after being evacuated to a hospital in Johannesburg. Later, laboratory tests confirmed she had hantavirus. The third victim, a German citizen, died on board the ship on May 2 following the development of pneumonia. She was found to have the Andes strain, the only known type of hantavirus capable of limited person-to-person transmission.
Control and isolation
Authorities in the United States, United Kingdom, Switzerland, and other countries are monitoring the condition of passengers who have already left the ship. In the US, residents in five states, including Arizona, California, and Texas, are being observed. In the UK, two cases have been confirmed, and another is suspected in a passenger who disembarked on Tristan da Cunha island. In Switzerland, a patient with a confirmed diagnosis is in isolation; his wife is also isolated but has no symptoms. European and American authorities are arranging evacuation and quarantine for their citizens, including 17 Americans who will be flown to the US by a special flight and quarantined in Nebraska.
Risks and recommendations
According to WHO estimates, the risk to the general public remains low. However, all passengers and crew of the MV Hondius should monitor for symptoms for 45 days. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control considers everyone on board as close contacts due to the enclosed environment and shared activities. Hantavirus is dangerous due to its severe course and high fatality rate: according to the CDC, up to 38% of patients with respiratory symptoms may die. There is no vaccine or specific treatment; only early supportive therapy in intensive care is effective.
Origin and characteristics of the virus
WHO suggests the infection may have occurred before boarding the vessel, possibly during a stay in Argentina, where hantavirus is most prevalent. Genetic analysis identified the Andes strain, which has previously caused limited outbreaks with human-to-human transmission. Studies indicate the average transmission rate of this strain before quarantine measures was 2.12, and after implementation dropped to 0.96. Hantavirus outbreaks worldwide are rare, but between 60,000 and 100,000 cases are reported annually, with half occurring in China.
The outbreak on the MV Hondius has become one of the most discussed topics in European media, and interest in infections and investigations has only grown in recent years. For example, there was previously significant attention to an investigation into lottery ticket sales in Biscay, when police launched a probe following complaints about unpaid winnings — more on this in the report about the investigation in Igorre.
According to the CDC, from 1993 to 2023, 890 cases of hantavirus infection were recorded in the United States, mostly in the western part of the country. Interest in the virus also surged after the death of actor Gene Hackman’s wife last year. The WHO emphasizes that the virus does not spread as easily as flu or Covid-19 and requires close and prolonged contact between people.
