Five Hantavirus Cases Confirmed from MV Hondius Cruise, Three Fatalities Reported
A global effort is underway to trace individuals who disembarked from the MV Hondius cruise ship before the detection of a hantavirus outbreak, alongside those with whom they have had close contact. The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed five cases, including three fatalities, linked to the Dutch vessel.
Transmission and Incubation Concerns
While typically spread from rodents, this outbreak marks the first documented instance of human-to-human transmission for hantavirus, according to the WHO. Despite this, the UN health agency has downplayed concerns of a pandemic, indicating this strain requires "close, intimate contact" for spread. However, the virus's incubation period, potentially lasting up to six weeks, suggests that further cases could emerge.
Approximately 150 passengers and crew from 28 nations were initially aboard the MV Hondius, with dozens disembarking on St Helena on 24 April. The cruise, which commenced in Ushuaia, Argentina, on 1 April, is scheduled to arrive in Spain's Canary Islands on 10 May.
International Monitoring and Cases
The WHO is coordinating with officials in at least 12 countries, including Canada, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States, to monitor their citizens who have returned home.
Three British nationals are suspected of having hantavirus. Seven British individuals disembarked in St Helena on 24 April, prior to the first confirmed case on 4 May. Two confirmed cases involve British men: Martin Anstee, 56, remains stable in the Netherlands, while another is in intensive care in South Africa. Two more British nationals are self-isolating in the UK.
The two Dutch fatalities include a husband and wife, with the woman testing positive for hantavirus and dying in South Africa. A German passenger also died after developing a fever and pneumonia symptoms on 28 April; her body remains on the ship.
A Swiss man, who disembarked in Saint Helena, has tested positive for the Andes strain of hantavirus and is receiving care in Zurich.
Ship's Arrival in Canary Islands
The MV Hondius is expected to dock in Tenerife, Canary Islands, by Saturday. All 146 remaining individuals from 23 countries will undergo medical assessment before repatriation. Spanish authorities approved the docking, though the Canary Islands' president, Fernando Clavijo, has publicly opposed the decision, citing a lack of technical criteria and sufficient information.
Upon arrival, non-Spanish citizens will be repatriated, while 14 Spanish passengers face quarantine in a military hospital in Madrid. Local residents in Tenerife have expressed concerns regarding the ship's arrival.
