The World Health Organization (WHO) announced Thursday that a hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius has concluded. This declaration follows the completion of the mandatory 42-day quarantine and monitoring period for the final individual exposed to the virus on the ship.
According to WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the last exposed individual tested negative for the virus and has since returned home. No additional cases have been reported since May 25. The WHO confirmed a total of 13 hantavirus cases, including 12 confirmed and one probable, resulting in three deaths, two of which have been confirmed. All identified cases involved passengers or crew members aboard the ship.
Health authorities in 33 countries and territories followed up with over 650 identified contacts. "Although the outbreak is over, WHO will continue working with governments and partners to advance our understanding of this outbreak and of hantavirus more generally," Tedros stated during a media briefing.
The WHO was initially notified on May 2 of a cluster of severe acute respiratory illness on the MV Hondius, which included two fatalities and one critically ill passenger. The prevailing hypothesis suggests the first case was infected with hantavirus while on land before boarding the vessel. At least 11 confirmed cases tested positive for the Andes virus, a rare strain of hantavirus known for its ability to transmit between people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Last week, quarantine periods concluded for 18 American passengers from the MV Hondius who had been exposed to hantavirus. The WHO indicated it will coordinate a study involving 21 countries to better understand the disease's development, which could aid in creating future diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines.