The World Health Organisation stated Friday that the public risk from a hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship is "absolutely low," as transmission requires very close contact. WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said the virus, while dangerous, poses minimal threat beyond infected individuals. Five confirmed and three suspected cases have been reported, including three deaths, after the ship sailed from Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1.
A Dutch couple who boarded in Argentina were the first fatalities. The woman died in South Africa on May 4, 15 days after accompanying her husband's body there. Another infected passenger arrived in Europe, and four evacuees were removed from the vessel near Cape Verde and the Netherlands. The ship, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, is en route to Tenerife, Spain, with no symptomatic cases currently on board.
WHO director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted the Andes virus strain has an incubation period of up to six weeks, meaning more cases could emerge. Human-to-human transmission is rare but possible. Patients are being treated or isolated in Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and South Africa. Argentine authorities said they cannot yet confirm where the infection originated and plan to test rodents in Ushuaia.
Saint Helena officials said over 95% of its population had no contact with the ship. US President Donald Trump said he had been briefed and expected a full report soon, adding, "It should be fine, we hope." The Leiden University Medical Centre confirmed another positive test in the Netherlands.
WHO says hantavirus risk is "absolutely low" even as cases emerge across multiple countries from one ship. The virus killed three people and infected others despite being hard to spread. If transmission occurred on a cruise with limited contact, the definition of "very close" may need re-evaluation. Passengers ended up in South Africa, the Netherlands and elsewhere, showing how tightly contained borders are not.
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