Health agencies in multiple countries are trying to contain a hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius after the World Health Organization confirmed five infections associated with the vessel.
The outbreak has drawn international attention because the identified virus strain, the Andes variant of hantavirus, is one of the rare strains capable of limited person-to-person transmission. Since April, three people connected to the cruise have died, while several others are being monitored by health authorities.
International contact tracing underway
According to WHO, the ship was carrying 147 people, including 88 passengers and 59 crew members representing 23 different nationalities.
Authorities in South Africa, Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain and the United States are now tracing passengers and close contacts who may have been exposed to the virus.
Read More: 2 Indian crew members stuck on hantavirus-hit ship, know their condition, what next…
In the US, officials are monitoring travellers from Georgia, Arizona, California, Texas and Virginia, although no symptoms have been reported so far.
Swiss authorities are also tracing individuals who may have come in contact with a passenger currently receiving treatment in Zurich.
Officials are additionally tracking passengers who had disembarked earlier at Saint Helena and other ports before the outbreak became fully known.
Multiple cases and deaths reported
WHO has so far confirmed five hantavirus infections, while several additional cases are still being investigated.
Read More: Hantavirus outbreak news: New case confirmed as 3 passengers evacuated from cruise ship, how dangerous is this virus and should you be worried?
The first identified patient was a 70-year-old Dutch man who reportedly developed fever, headaches and gastrointestinal symptoms on April 6 before suffering severe respiratory complications. He later died onboard the ship on April 11.
His 69-year-old wife also fell ill during onward travel and died at a hospital near Johannesburg on April 26. Medical testing later confirmed she had contracted hantavirus.
A German passenger who experienced fever and symptoms similar to pneumonia died onboard the cruise ship on May 2. Officials are treating her death as a suspected hantavirus case.
Another confirmed patient remains in intensive care in South Africa after developing serious breathing problems, while a separate infected passenger is currently undergoing treatment in Switzerland.
WHO explains possible source of infection
WHO officials believe the Dutch couple may have contracted the virus in Argentina before boarding the cruise ship on April 1.
Read More: Hantavirus to become pandemic like Covid-19? WHO makes big statement, alerts 12 countries, names include…
Genetic analysis later confirmed that the infections involved the Andes strain of hantavirus.
‘This is not a virus that spreads like flu or like Covid. It’s quite different,’ WHO official Maria Van Kerkhove said.
Hantavirus infections are generally spread through exposure to rodents or their droppings. However, health experts say the Andes strain is unusual because it has shown limited human-to-human transmission, especially through close personal contact.
WHO has advised all passengers and crew members linked to the voyage to watch for symptoms for 45 days.
There is currently no approved vaccine or targeted treatment for hantavirus infections. However, medical experts say early intensive care and prompt treatment can significantly improve survival chances.
