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The World Health Organization (WHO) issued an official update on Tuesday regarding the hantavirus outbreak linked to the luxury cruise MV Hondius, registered under the Dutch flag, stating that the number of affected individuals has risen to seven, with three confirmed deaths, and warns about the potential transmission of the virus among individuals in very close contact on board.
The organization published the statement on its disease outbreak alerts portal, detailing that, since April 1 —the date when the ship departed from Ushuaia, Argentina— seven out of the 147 people on board have fallen ill: three have died, one is in critical condition, and three are showing mild symptoms.
Low risk, but alert for possible transmission among people
The WHO was categorical in assessing the extent of the outbreak: “Based on current information, including how hantavirus spreads, the WHO assesses the risk to the global population from this event as low.”
However, the most concerning element of the statement is the suspicion of person-to-person transmission.
Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, director of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention at WHO, explained the organization's working hypothesis:
"We believe that there could be some transmission occurring from person to person, among very close contacts. Some people on the ship were couples; they shared cabins, so it involves quite intimate contact."
The agency specified that "person-to-person transmission cannot be ruled out" and that, "as a precautionary measure, this is what we are assuming."
Van Kerkhove also emphasized that the danger is not comparable to that of other respiratory viruses: "The risk to the general population is low. This is not a virus that spreads like the flu or covid; it is quite different."
The cases: a Dutch couple, a British man, and a German woman
The first case was a Dutch man aged 70 years who fell ill on April 6 with fever, headache, and diarrhea, and died on board on April 11 without any microbiological tests being conducted.
His wife, aged 69 years, disembarked in Santa Elena on April 24 with gastrointestinal symptoms, worsened during a flight to Johannesburg, and died upon arrival at the emergency room on April 26; she was confirmed positive by PCR on May 4.
The family stated: "The beautiful journey they shared was abruptly and definitively cut short. We still cannot come to terms with the fact that we have lost them."
A British citizen, evacuated from Ascension Island to South Africa on April 27, remains hospitalized in an intensive care unit in Johannesburg with progressive improvement; this is the second case confirmed by PCR.
A German citizen died on board on May 2 with symptoms of pneumonia, and her case is being treated as suspicious.
The ship, stranded off Cape Verde
The MV Hondius, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, remains anchored off Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, after being denied entry by that country. Cape Verde denied the docking permission at the port of Praia, as announced by the president of the National Public Health Institute of the country, Maria da Luz Lima.
Aboard are 88 passengers and 59 crew members from 23 nationalities, including 17 Americans.
The deadly outbreak on the cruise ship is the first hantavirus case recorded on such a vessel, as confirmed by Van Kerkhove.
The plan: Evacuation and heading to the Canary Islands
The WHO is working on the medical evacuation of two symptomatic crew members using specialized aircraft organized by the Dutch government.
Van Kerkhove explained: "The plan is to medically evacuate those two people. That is in progress. The idea is for the ship to continue to the Canary Islands. We are in communication with the Spanish authorities."
This Tuesday, Spain's Ministry of Health sent a team of epidemiologists to the ship to assess the people on board and prepare disinfection protocols.
Strict isolation and hygiene protocols are in place on board; passengers can receive meals in their cabins and access the outdoor decks, but they cannot gather in indoor areas.
What is hantavirus and why is the Andes virus concerning?
Hantavirus is primarily transmitted through contact with the urine, feces, or saliva of infected rodents. Experts suspect that the strain involved is the Andes virus (Orthohantavirus andesense), the only one among more than 20 known strains with documented transmission between humans, endemic to the southern cone of America and prevalent in Argentine Patagonia, precisely the region from which the cruise departed.
The hantavirus mortality rate can reach 50% in America, and there is no approved specific antiviral treatment or vaccine.
The WHO recommended that passengers and crew actively monitor symptoms for 45 days following the trip, and advised against any travel or trade restrictions based on the available information.
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