The World Health Organization confirmed on Tuesday that two people aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship have tested positive for hantavirus in laboratory tests, with five additional suspected cases bringing the total to seven affected individuals. In a significant development, WHO officials stated they suspect the virus may be transmitting between humans among close contacts on board.

Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness, told reporters that the agency believes some human-to-human transmission may be occurring among people in very close contact, such as those sharing cabins. Hantavirus is typically contracted through exposure to rodent urine, feces, or saliva and is rarely passed between people.

Timeline and Casualties

According to WHO, illness onset among the affected individuals occurred between April 6 and April 28. Three deaths have been confirmed: a Dutch couple and a German national. The Dutch husband died aboard the ship on April 11. His wife, who had disembarked in St. Helena to accompany his body, died on April 26 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Her case was confirmed as hantavirus by PCR testing on May 4.

A 69-year-old British national remains in intensive care in Johannesburg. Two crew members, one British and one Dutch, require urgent medical evacuation and are scheduled to be flown to the Netherlands. Of the 149 people still aboard from 23 countries, no additional passengers have developed symptoms.

Evacuation Plans and Next Steps

The MV Hondius is currently anchored near Cape Verde off the west coast of Africa. Local authorities have barred passengers from disembarking on safety grounds. WHO is in discussions with Spanish authorities about sailing the vessel to the Canary Islands, with Las Palmas or Tenerife being considered as the destination for comprehensive medical screening and orderly disembarkation.

WHO emphasized that the risk to the global public remains low, but contact tracing has been initiated for passengers on an April 25 flight between St. Helena and Johannesburg taken by one of the deceased passengers. Dr. Van Kerkhove said the working hypothesis is that multiple transmission routes may be involved, with the virus potentially introduced before the ship departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, or at one of its island stops along the Atlantic crossing.

Sources: France 24, BBC

The MV Hondius expedition cruise ship has been hit by a suspected hantavirus outbreak while sailing the Atlantic. Operator Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed that a Dutch husband and wife and a German national have died, while a British passenger is in intensive care in Johannesburg, South Africa. There are currently 149 people on board.

Details

According to the company’s timeline, the outbreak traces back to April 11 when a passenger fell ill on board. The passenger disembarked when the ship docked at St Helena on April 24, but the cause of death could not be determined. His wife also disembarked but fell ill during the return journey and later died.

On April 27, a 69-year-old British passenger became seriously ill and was medically evacuated to South Africa. Laboratory tests confirmed infection with a variant of hantavirus. The patient remains in critical but stable condition.

The World Health Organisation said in a statement on May 4 that it had identified seven cases of hantavirus, two confirmed by laboratory testing and five suspected. Two crew members aboard also have acute respiratory symptoms requiring urgent medical care.

About Hantavirus

Hantavirus is typically transmitted to humans through rodent faeces, saliva, or urine and can cause severe respiratory illness. Human-to-human transmission is extremely rare. The cluster of cases on this cruise ship has drawn significant attention from public health experts due to its unusual concentration.

Developments

The cruise company is negotiating with local authorities for emergency medical assistance. The MV Hondius is currently off the coast of Cape Verde.

Sources: BBC News, Forbes