The head of the UN health agency has stated that there is “no sign” of a larger hantavirus outbreak following the evacuation of the final passengers from a cruise ship affected by the disease. However, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, chief of the World Health Organization (WHO), cautioned that “the situation could change” and additional confirmed virus cases might emerge. The MV Hondius departed Tenerife on Monday, heading towards the Dutch port of Rotterdam. On Tuesday, two flights carrying the remaining 28 passengers arrived in Eindhoven. Three individuals have died after being on the ship. A French national and a Spaniard, who had both returned home earlier, tested positive. The WHO has confirmed nine cases, with two additional suspected cases. The French woman is currently in intensive care in a Paris hospital, where doctors describe her condition as “the most severe form” of the disease, requiring treatment with an artificial lung. The Spanish patient is reported to have mild respiratory symptoms. In the Netherlands, twelve hospital employees are now in quarantine due to potential exposure to the virus after treating one of the evacuated passengers. The hospital in Nijmegen stated on Monday that this measure was precautionary, as the staff did not adhere to strict protocols when handling the patient’s blood and urine samples. During a press conference in Madrid on Tuesday, Ghebreyesus remarked, “At the moment, there is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak.” He added, “But of course the situation could change and, given the long incubation period of the virus, it’s possible we might see more cases in the coming weeks.” He further emphasized that “our work is not over” in containing the outbreak originating from the cruise ship. Hantaviruses are typically carried by rodents, but human transmission of the Andes strain—which the WHO suspects some passengers contracted in South America—is possible. Symptoms can include fever, extreme fatigue, muscle aches, stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and shortness of breath. Previously, WHO officials had assessed the risk of a major outbreak as very low. On Tuesday, Spain’s health ministry reported that one of the 14 Spanish nationals currently in quarantine in Madrid, following their evacuation from the vessel, had tested positive for hantavirus. The ministry added that the passenger exhibits a “low-grade fever and mild respiratory symptoms” but remains in stable condition. In Italy, biological samples are being collected from a man displaying symptoms who traveled on the same flight as a woman who later succumbed to the virus. ANSA news agency reported that these samples will be sent to Italy’s primary infectious diseases hospital, the Spallanzani in Rome. Elsewhere, French President Emmanuel Macron declared the situation in France to be “under control.” Health Minister Stéphanie Rist confirmed that while one French woman was in intensive care, four other repatriated citizens had tested negative in hospital, and 22 “contact cases” were being kept in hospital isolation for a minimum of two weeks. Two British nationals with confirmed cases are currently receiving treatment in the Netherlands and South Africa. The Dutch-flagged vessel is anticipated to take six days to reach Rotterdam, with a provisional arrival on the evening of May 17. Oceanwide Expeditions, the ship’s operator, stated that exact arrival procedures are still being discussed, but the vessel will undergo sanitation. The last six passengers—four Australians, one Briton, and one New Zealander—along with some crew members, disembarked the ship on Monday. In total, 122 passengers and crew members of the MV Hondius have been repatriated to the Netherlands and their respective home countries via government-chartered flights over the past few days. As of Monday evening, Oceanwide Expeditions reported that 27 individuals remained on board the ship: 25 crew members and two medical staff. This group comprised 17 people from the Philippines, four from the Netherlands (including the two medical staff), four from Ukraine, one from Russia, and one from Poland. Ukraine’s foreign ministry indicated that the Ukrainian nationals on board would assist with the ship’s transfer to the Netherlands and would quarantine at a medical facility upon arrival. They reportedly showed no signs of illness. According to the Philippine Embassy, seventeen Filipino crew members arrived in the Netherlands on Tuesday morning.
Understanding Hantavirus: Key Facts
While most hantaviruses do not transmit from person to person, rare instances of human-to-human transmission have been documented with the Andes virus strain. As hantaviruses are carried by rodents, human infections typically occur in environments where people and rodents coexist. Infection usually happens when people breathe in air contaminated with virus particles from rodent urine, droppings, or saliva. Symptoms of hantavirus infection can include fever, extreme fatigue, muscle aches, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or shortness of breath. In severe cases, individuals may develop significant breathing difficulties, low blood pressure, and kidney failure, necessitating hospital care. Currently, there is no widely available vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for hantavirus infections.
A 70-year-old Dutch man was the first passenger to die aboard the MV Hondius on April 11. He had developed symptoms earlier and is believed to have been the initial infection in the outbreak, but passed away before being tested. His 69-year-old wife disembarked the ship on April 24 on the island of St Helena and flew to South Africa, where she died two days later in a Johannesburg clinic. A German woman died on board the cruise ship on May 2. Both women were confirmed cases. The MV Hondius had been carrying 147 passengers and crew from 23 countries after its departure from Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1.
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