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Hantavirus outbreak on MV Hondius cruise prompts deaths, evacuations, and contact tracing
A rare hantavirus outbreak developed over weeks aboard the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius during an Atlantic cruise from Ushuaia. At least three passengers have died, several others fell ill, and some were evacuated. Health authorities are tracing passengers and contacts. The ship continues towards Spain’s Canary Islands as WHO says wider public risk is low.
Health agencies in several countries were tracing contacts after a rare hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius. At least three passengers died, and others fell ill during the Atlantic crossing. The Dutch-flagged vessel carried more than 140 passengers and crew members as it sailed towards Spain’s Canary Islands.
The World Health Organisation said hantavirus mainly spreads from rodents to people. In uncommon cases, it can pass between people. WHO said the risk to the wider public stayed low. The virus does not spread easily between people. Health officials were still tracking passengers who left earlier stops.
Hantavirus outbreak on MV Hondius: confirmed cases and response
On May 6, three people were evacuated from the ship and flown to specialist hospitals in Europe. Two of the three tested positive for hantavirus. Cape Verde then allowed the ship to leave its waters. Spain said it would accept the vessel, and the ship headed for the Canary Islands.
Authorities in Switzerland reported another positive hantavirus test on May 6. The case involved a man who left the cruise earlier in St. Helena. That brought confirmed cases to five. Health agencies in South Africa and Switzerland said tests pointed to the Andes virus.
The Andes virus is the only hantavirus thought to spread human-to-human. It is found in South America, mainly Argentina and Chile. On May 7, officials in Switzerland, Britain, Netherlands, France, Singapore, South Africa and elsewhere were isolating people. They were also tracing possible contacts linked to past travellers.
Hantavirus outbreak on MV Hondius: sick passengers and deaths
The first reported illness began on April 6, after the voyage started on April 1. A 70-year-old Dutch man developed fever, headache and mild diarrhoea onboard. Before embarkation, the man and his wife visited Ushuaia. WHO said the couple also travelled elsewhere in Argentina and Chile.
On April 11, the Dutch man developed breathing problems and died onboard. The cruise company said the cause of death could not be determined then. The body stayed on the ship during later stops. On April 15, six people joined the cruise at Tristan da Cunha, a British territory.
On April 24, the body was taken off at St. Helena, part of the same British territory. The Dutch man’s wife disembarked there. More than two dozen other passengers also left the ship. The next day, the Dutch woman flew from St. Helena to South Africa with 88 passengers and crew.
It remained unclear how many MV Hondius passengers took that commercial flight. On April 26, the Dutch woman died in South Africa. The death followed a collapse at an airport while trying to board another flight home. On May 4, officials received a posthumous positive hantavirus test for the Dutch woman.
Back on the ship, another passenger fell ill on April 27 after the vessel left St. Helena. The British man was evacuated to Ascension Island. He was later moved to South Africa and placed in intensive care. The man had high fever, shortness of breath and signs of pneumonia.
On April 28, a German woman became sick as the ship sailed towards Cape Verde. On May 2, the German woman died onboard. That was the third fatality, nearly a month after the first illness. On May 2, South African health authorities also received a positive hantavirus test for the British man.
Hantavirus outbreak on MV Hondius: WHO updates and Cape Verde standoff
On May 3, the World Health Organisation said it was responding to a suspected hantavirus outbreak. By then, the ship had arrived in Cape Verde waters. WHO later treated the situation as an outbreak. On May 5, Cape Verde and the ship faced a standoff over evacuations and disembarkation.
Cape Verde sent health workers to assist but said nobody could leave. Two crew members were seriously ill, including the ship’s doctor. Another person was under monitoring. The evacuations took place on May 6. After that, the vessel resumed sailing towards Spain as investigations continued across borders.
With inputs from PTI
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