GENEVA: The World Health Organization said on Thursday that five cases of hantavirus linked to an outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius had now been confirmed, while three additional cases remained suspected.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak had so far resulted in eight reported cases, including three deaths.
“So far, eight cases have been reported, including three deaths. Five of the eight cases have been confirmed as hantavirus and the other three are suspected,” Tedros told reporters in Geneva.
He said the virus involved was the Andes strain of hantavirus, which is found in Latin America and is the only known hantavirus capable of documented human-to-human transmission.
“Given the incubation period of the Andes virus, which can be up to six weeks, it’s possible that more cases may be reported,” Tedros said.
Cruise ship continues voyage
The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius departed from Ushuaia on April 1 for a voyage through the Atlantic Ocean toward Cape Verde before continuing to Tenerife.
The WHO said the vessel had resumed sailing north toward Tenerife on Wednesday.
Tedros said he had remained in regular contact with the ship’s captain throughout the outbreak.
“He told me morale has improved significantly since the ship started moving again. I thank him for everything he has done to protect those under his duty of care,” he said.
WHO emergency alert and response director Abdi Rahman Mahamud said the organisation believed the outbreak could remain contained if health protocols were followed.
“We believe this will be a limited outbreak if the public health measures are implemented and solidarity shown across all countries,” Mahamud said.
International health response
The WHO said Argentina would provide 2,500 diagnostic kits to laboratories in five countries to assist in identifying potential infections.
During its voyage, the MV Hondius stopped at several remote islands, including Saint Helena, a British overseas territory, where passengers disembarked between April 22 and 24.
According to the WHO, authorities in 12 countries were informed after nationals from those states left the ship on Saint Helena.
Tedros identified the countries as United Kingdom, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkiye and the United States.
The ship’s operator said 30 passengers had disembarked at Saint Helena, including the first reported fatality — a Dutch passenger who died on April 11.
Dutch hospitals confirm cases
Meanwhile, hospitals in the Netherlands confirmed on Thursday that patients linked to the cruise ship outbreak had tested positive for hantavirus.
Leiden University Medical Centre said in a statement that a patient admitted to the hospital had tested positive.
“It has been confirmed that the admitted patient has hantavirus. The patient has been informed and has given permission to share this information,” the hospital said.
Earlier on Thursday, Radboud University Medical Center in the eastern Netherlands also confirmed that one of its patients from the cruise ship had tested positive for the virus.
