The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an end to the hantavirus outbreak associated with the cruise ship MV Hondius, reporting no new cases since May 25. This announcement marks the conclusion of an outbreak that prompted extensive contact tracing and monitoring across multiple countries.
Authorities identified and followed up with over 650 contacts in 33 countries and territories, according to the WHO. The organization stated it will continue to collaborate with governments and partners to deepen the understanding of the outbreak and hantavirus in general. WHO medical officer Dr. Diana Rojas Alverez emphasized that Andes virus and other hantaviruses remain a public health risk in South America and other endemic regions, underscoring the need for ongoing surveillance and preparedness for potential spread.
Hantavirus is typically transmitted from rodents to humans through the inhalation of air contaminated with virus particles found in rodent urine, droppings, or saliva. Symptoms commonly include fever, extreme fatigue, muscle aches, stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and shortness of breath. The onset of symptoms usually occurs two to four weeks after exposure, though it can sometimes take longer. This incubation period contributed to the extended isolation measures for passengers.
Passengers from the MV Hondius disembarked in Tenerife, Spain, in May before being flown back to their home countries, as they were not medically evacuated. The ship's journey, which began in Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1, saw several fatalities and illnesses among passengers. A timeline of events indicates the first passenger death occurred at sea on April 11. Subsequent events included a passenger's wife being flown from St. Helena to South Africa on April 24, where she died in Johannesburg on April 26. Another passenger was flown to a hospital on April 27, and a third passenger died onboard on May 2. The ship arrived in Cape Verde on May 3 and later in Tenerife, Spain, on May 10.