Countries worldwide are rapidly tracking and controlling the spread of hantavirus after the World Health Organization confirmed at least five infections linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship.
The latest situation shows three deaths so far: a Dutch couple and one German individual. The first fatality was a 70-year-old Dutch man who developed fever, headaches, abdominal pain, and diarrhea before dying on the ship on 11 April.
Currently, 146 passengers and crew from 23 countries, including 17 Americans, remain on board under strict control measures. The ship is scheduled to dock at Spain’s Canary Islands this weekend before passengers return to their home countries.
This situation has raised international concern because some passengers disembarked and traveled to various countries before the outbreak was known, leading many to draw comparisons with the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the virus involved is the Andes strain of hantavirus, a rare virus that can occasionally be transmitted from person to person through close contact. While additional infections may occur, there are no signs yet of a large-scale outbreak like COVID-19.
Recently, several countries have begun implementing strict measures to trace and monitor people exposed to the virus, with actions including the following:
In the Netherlands, three passengers evacuated from the ship have arrived and are receiving treatment: one British individual, a 65-year-old German man, and a 41-year-old Dutch crew member. Two of them are in serious condition. Meanwhile, the Dutch public health institute is testing individuals who showed symptoms after exposure on a flight, including a KLM airline crew member who had close contact with a 69-year-old Dutch woman who died in South Africa last month.
In South Africa, a British man who fell ill on the ship on 27 April was admitted to the intensive care unit of a private hospital in Johannesburg. WHO noted his condition is improving.
In Switzerland, WHO revealed that a passenger who returned home after disembarking tested positive for hantavirus and is currently undergoing treatment in Zurich.
The United Kingdom announced that two British nationals who disembarked on Saint Helena Island on 24 April are under home quarantine for symptom monitoring after possible exposure. Authorities are also tracking several other British citizens linked to this cruise.
In the United States, public health officials are monitoring several passengers who have returned, including individuals from Virginia, Texas, Georgia, Arizona, and California, most of whom remain asymptomatic.
Singapore disclosed that two Singaporean men in their 60s are in quarantine and undergoing testing, with one experiencing mild nasal congestion and the other asymptomatic.
Canadian authorities reported three people under quarantine in Ontario and Quebec. One of them was not on the ship but traveled on the same flight as passengers linked to the outbreak.
In France, the Ministry of Health revealed eight individuals at risk who were not on the ship but traveled on the same flight as infected passengers between Saint Helena and Johannesburg. One has begun showing mild symptoms and is undergoing testing.
Meanwhile, Argentina is intensifying investigations into the infection source by tracing the travel routes of the Dutch couple before boarding the cruise and preparing to deploy teams to capture rodents in high-risk areas, as these animals are key hantavirus carriers.
WHO stated it is coordinating with multiple countries to expedite contact tracing and contain the virus spread as much as possible. Globally, attention remains focused on the cruise ship amid concerns about further cross-border transmission.
:CNN
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