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Tag: Hantavirus outbreak

  • WHO Maintains ‘Low Risk’ Assessment for Hantavirus Outbreak Linked to Cruise Ship

    WHO Maintains ‘Low Risk’ Assessment for Hantavirus Outbreak Linked to Cruise Ship

    The World Health Organization says it is maintaining its assessment that the global public health risk from the recent hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship remains “low.”

    In a statement released Sunday, the WHO said its latest review of available information found no reason to raise the international risk level despite several confirmed infections and deaths connected to the outbreak.

    “The public health risk has been reassessed with the most current information available, and the global risk remains low,” the organization stated.

    Health officials noted that additional cases could still emerge among passengers and crew members who were exposed before containment measures were introduced onboard the vessel.

    However, the WHO said the likelihood of further transmission is expected to decrease significantly following the disembarkation process and the implementation of health control measures.

    The outbreak originated aboard the MV Hondius, a cruise ship operated by Dutch expedition company Oceanwide Expeditions.

    The vessel drew international attention after three passengers died from hantavirus, a rare but potentially deadly virus that currently has no approved vaccine or specific treatment.

    The ship is expected to arrive at the Dutch port of Rotterdam on Monday morning, where the remaining 27 people onboard — including 25 crew members and two medical staff — are scheduled to disembark.

    Earlier this month, ambulances transported suspected hantavirus patients from the cruise ship after it arrived near Paris for emergency medical response operations.

    Hantavirus infections are typically spread through contact with rodents, particularly exposure to infected urine, droppings, or saliva. Human-to-human transmission is considered extremely rare for most strains.

    Symptoms can range from fever and muscle aches to severe respiratory complications in serious cases.

    The WHO said it will continue monitoring the situation closely alongside international and national health authorities as investigations into the outbreak continue.

  • Hantavirus Cases Climb to 11 After Deadly Cruise Outbreak as Passengers Quarantine Worldwide

    Hantavirus Cases Climb to 11 After Deadly Cruise Outbreak as Passengers Quarantine Worldwide

    Global health officials have confirmed 11 hantavirus cases linked to the luxury expedition cruise ship MV Hondius, with experts warning that more infections could emerge in the coming weeks as passengers remain under quarantine and medical observation around the world.

    The outbreak, which has already claimed three lives, began after the vessel departed Argentina on April 1 carrying nearly 150 passengers and crew on a remote sightseeing expedition through isolated regions of the South Atlantic.

    Among those currently quarantined is American passenger Jake Rosmarin, who spoke from a quarantine room at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

    Rosmarin, who has not tested positive and is not showing symptoms, said learning about the outbreak onboard was frightening, especially after researching the virus online. He said he largely remained isolated in his cabin while still aboard the ship and only felt relief after disembarking in Spain’s Canary Islands.

    A total of 18 American passengers returned to the United States, with 16 placed under observation in Nebraska and two others monitored at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. US health officials confirmed that two passengers are currently being housed in specialized biocontainment units “out of an abundance of caution.”

    Three deaths have been linked to the outbreak so far, including a Dutch couple and a German passenger. The first victim died after being removed from the ship at the remote island of St. Helena, while his wife later died in a hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa.

    The cruise ship eventually docked in Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands, where passengers underwent health screenings before returning to their home countries. Positive cases have since been identified in France, Spain, and Switzerland, prompting international monitoring efforts.

    Health authorities are especially concerned because the Andes strain of hantavirus involved in the outbreak can spread through prolonged close human contact, although experts stress the overall public risk remains low.

    Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that additional cases may still emerge due to the virus’s incubation period, which can last up to 42 days.

    US officials emphasized that hantavirus does not spread easily and typically requires close interaction with someone already showing symptoms. Brendan Jackson of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said health agencies are continuing aggressive monitoring efforts while investigators work to identify the exact source of the outbreak.

    The World Health Organization is focusing particular attention on a bird-watching excursion in southern Argentina attended by the first passenger who later died before boarding the cruise.

    Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed that all passengers and most crew members have now disembarked from the ship. The remaining crew are sailing the vessel to Rotterdam in the Netherlands, where it is expected to arrive later this month.

    Medical experts noted that this is not the first major hantavirus cluster. A similar outbreak in Argentina in 2018 infected 34 people and killed 11 after the virus spread during social gatherings.

  • American Passengers From Hantavirus-Hit Cruise Ship Return to the U.S.

    American Passengers From Hantavirus-Hit Cruise Ship Return to the U.S.

    Seventeen American passengers evacuated from the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius have arrived back in the United States after a deadly outbreak linked to the voyage claimed three lives and infected multiple passengers.

    A U.S. State Department aircraft carrying the passengers landed at Eppley Airfield early Monday morning. The travelers were transported for medical monitoring and evaluation at facilities connected to the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

    According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, two passengers were transported in biocontainment units “out of an abundance of caution.” One passenger has tested positive for hantavirus, while another experiencing mild symptoms is being treated separately at another facility.

    Spanish health authorities disputed the certainty of the positive diagnosis, saying one laboratory considered the result a weak positive while a second test came back negative. Despite the conflicting results, U.S. officials chose to proceed with treatment protocols as if the passenger were infected.

    The outbreak aboard the luxury expedition vessel has become one of the most unusual hantavirus incidents ever recorded, with health officials noting that human cases linked to cruise ships had never previously been documented.

    The ship departed Argentina on April 1 with nearly 150 passengers and crew on a remote sightseeing expedition through the South Atlantic. The crisis began after a Dutch passenger died at sea on April 12. His wife later died in a Johannesburg hospital after becoming ill during travel. A third passenger, a German national, also died during the voyage.

    Health authorities say the outbreak may be connected to a birdwatching excursion in southern Argentina attended by the first passenger who died before boarding the cruise.

    French officials also confirmed that one evacuated French passenger tested positive for hantavirus after arriving in Paris, with her condition reportedly worsening overnight.

    The cruise ship docked Sunday in Tenerife after an international effort to isolate and repatriate passengers. Several countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Spain, Australia, and the Netherlands, have arranged evacuation and quarantine procedures for their citizens.

    British authorities said passengers arriving in the U.K. would remain under medical observation before isolating at home for 45 days, although no symptoms had been reported among that group.

    Officials from the World Health Organization are now investigating the source of the outbreak. Public health experts continue to stress that hantavirus transmission risk to the broader public remains low and usually requires close contact with infected individuals or contaminated rodent exposure.

    The Hondius is expected to return to the Netherlands for full disinfection procedures once all repatriation efforts are completed.

  • French Passenger Develops Symptoms After Return From Hantavirus-Hit Cruise Ship

    French Passenger Develops Symptoms After Return From Hantavirus-Hit Cruise Ship

    A French passenger evacuated from the virus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius developed symptoms consistent with hantavirus while being flown from Tenerife to Paris, prompting French authorities to place all five repatriated passengers into strict isolation.

    French Prime Minister Sebastian Lecornu said the symptomatic passenger was immediately isolated during the charter flight after showing signs of illness linked to the outbreak that has already claimed three lives.

    Upon arrival at Le Bourget Airport, emergency officials wearing full personal protective equipment escorted the passengers from the aircraft before transporting them by ambulance to Bichat Hospital.

    France’s foreign ministry said the group will remain in quarantine for 72 hours while undergoing medical evaluations before potentially being allowed to continue self-isolation at home for 45 days.

    The French passengers are among more than 90 tourists and crew members being repatriated from the Hondius after the vessel anchored off Tenerife following a deadly hantavirus outbreak onboard.

    The outbreak has killed three passengers, including two confirmed hantavirus cases.

    Hantaviruses are primarily spread by rodents, but health officials believe the Andes strain involved in the outbreak can spread between humans. Authorities suspect several passengers contracted the virus while travelling in Argentina and other parts of South America.

    Symptoms associated with the disease include fever, severe fatigue, muscle pain, stomach discomfort, vomiting, diarrhoea, and breathing difficulties.

    Meanwhile, Spain placed 14 Spanish nationals under mandatory quarantine at a military hospital in Madrid.

    British passengers have also returned to the United Kingdom, where the UK Health Security Agency said none have reported symptoms so far, though monitoring continues.

    A separate flight carrying 26 passengers and crew, including eight Dutch nationals, has already arrived in the Netherlands. Repatriation flights were also scheduled for citizens of Turkey, United States, Ireland, and Australia.

    Spanish Health Minister Mónica García said 18 passengers, including all American nationals and one British resident living in the U.S., were expected to travel onward to the United States.

    The evacuation operation was coordinated by the World Health Organization and the Spanish government after the Hondius arrived in Tenerife early Sunday morning.

    Medical teams boarded the ship shortly after docking and began the carefully controlled removal of passengers and crew.

    Images from the evacuation showed passengers wearing medical face masks and maintaining social distancing while being ferried ashore and transported to airports under strict health protocols.

    The arrival of the ship sparked concern among some local officials in the Canary Islands, including regional leaders worried about potential virus transmission.

    The outbreak began after the ship departed Ushuaia on April 1 for a South Atlantic voyage.

    The first passenger died at sea on April 11. Another passenger later died in Johannesburg after leaving the ship via Saint Helena.

    Two British men with confirmed infections are receiving treatment in the Netherlands and South Africa, while another British national remains isolated on Tristan da Cunha, where British military medics recently parachuted in emergency medical supplies and assistance.

    Once all passengers and crew disembark, the Hondius will continue to the Netherlands, where the belongings of deceased passengers and one victim’s body will be disinfected before removal.

  • British Army Parachutes Into Remote Tristan da Cunha to Aid Briton With Suspected Hantavirus

    British Army Parachutes Into Remote Tristan da Cunha to Aid Briton With Suspected Hantavirus

    British military medics have parachuted onto the remote South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha to assist a British national with suspected hantavirus linked to an outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius.

    The British man, who lives on the island, disembarked from the vessel in mid-April before later developing symptoms associated with the virus. According to the World Health Organization, he reported diarrhoea on April 28 and developed a fever two days later. He is currently in stable condition and isolating.

    The outbreak aboard the MV Hondius has now resulted in six confirmed hantavirus cases and three deaths, including two people confirmed to have contracted the virus.

    Hantavirus is carried primarily by rodents. Most strains do not spread between people, but health officials say the Andes strain identified in several passengers from the cruise ship can transmit from person to person.

    In response to the medical emergency, a team from the British Army and Royal Air Force launched a rare humanitarian operation to support the isolated island community.

    Six paratroopers and two medical clinicians from 16 Air Assault Brigade parachuted onto Tristan da Cunha after flying from RAF Brize Norton aboard an RAF A400M aircraft.

    Two of the soldiers completed tandem jumps alongside an intensive care doctor and nurse to reinforce the island’s small medical team, which normally consists of only two healthcare workers.

    The UK Ministry of Defence said the operation marked the first time British military personnel have parachuted medical specialists into a humanitarian mission.

    Additional oxygen supplies were also air-dropped after stocks on the island reportedly reached critical levels.

    UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper praised the mission, calling it an example of Britain’s commitment to protecting citizens and overseas territories during emergencies.

    Minister for the Armed Forces Al Carns commended the troops for operating in difficult conditions, noting that Tristan da Cunha experiences strong winds and has no airport, making access extremely challenging.

    The remote volcanic archipelago, home to just 221 residents, is considered one of the world’s most isolated inhabited places and can only be reached by sea.

    Meanwhile, the MV Hondius has arrived in Tenerife, where more than 100 passengers are being assisted with repatriation efforts.

    Two British nationals with confirmed hantavirus infections are currently receiving treatment in the Netherlands and South Africa.

    UK health officials said no additional British passengers remaining aboard the ship have reported symptoms, although monitoring continues.

    Another two Britons who left the vessel earlier on Saint Helena are voluntarily isolating at home in the UK.

    The remaining 22 British passengers are expected to return to Britain on a charter flight and will isolate for 45 days at Arrowe Park Hospital under supervision from the UK Health Security Agency.

    Officials said the risk to the wider public remains very low.

  • Tenerife Residents React With Anger and Anxiety as Hantavirus Cruise Ship Nears Canary Islands

    Tenerife Residents React With Anger and Anxiety as Hantavirus Cruise Ship Nears Canary Islands

    Tensions are rising in Tenerife as the hantavirus-affected cruise ship MV Hondius approaches the Spanish island, sparking protests, public anxiety, and political controversy.

    The vessel, which experienced a hantavirus outbreak during its voyage, is expected to arrive this weekend after Spanish authorities agreed with the World Health Organization to allow passengers to disembark under strict health protocols.

    Concerns intensified Friday when dock workers gathered outside the Canary Islands parliament building in Santa Cruz to protest the ship’s arrival. Demonstrators blew whistles, sounded vuvuzelas, and carried banners demanding stronger health protections and clearer communication from authorities.

    Union representative Joana Batista said port workers were worried about being exposed to potential health risks without adequate safety measures or proper information.

    Some workers have even threatened to block the ship from arriving unless authorities guarantee stricter precautions for those involved in handling passengers and operations at the port.

    The controversy has also exposed wider frustrations among some Canary Islanders, with residents linking the issue to broader concerns about migration pressures and how the islands often become focal points for international humanitarian and public health crises.

    Nutritionist María de la Luz Sedeño criticized Spain’s central government for approving the ship’s arrival despite objections from Fernando Clavijo, arguing that local residents were not being properly consulted.

    Spanish authorities have attempted to calm fears by outlining detailed containment plans. Officials said MV Hondius will remain offshore rather than docking directly in Tenerife. Passengers will instead be ferried to the industrial port of Granadilla, located away from residential communities.

    According to Spain’s civil protection agency, passengers will be rapidly transported for repatriation, while the 14 Spanish nationals onboard will be flown to Madrid for quarantine procedures.

    Virginia Barcones, head of Spain’s civil protection agency, insisted that local residents would be “absolutely and completely protected” throughout the operation.

    The situation has revived memories of the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic for many islanders. Tenerife and nearby La Gomera were among the first Spanish territories impacted during the outbreak in 2020, including the quarantine of hundreds of hotel guests after Spain’s first confirmed case was identified in the Canary Islands.

    Despite the fears, some residents expressed cautious confidence in local authorities and healthcare systems, saying the islands have experience managing international emergencies.

    The arrival of MV Hondius has also become a political flashpoint, with the far-right Vox party criticizing the government’s handling of the situation and comparing it to migration policies affecting the Canary Islands.

    Health officials and the WHO continue stressing that hantavirus is not comparable to COVID-19 and that the risk of widespread transmission remains low.

  • Spain Prepares Emergency Evacuation as Hantavirus Cruise Ship Approaches Canary Islands

    Spain Prepares Emergency Evacuation as Hantavirus Cruise Ship Approaches Canary Islands

    Spanish authorities are preparing a large-scale emergency evacuation operation as the hantavirus-affected cruise ship MV Hondius heads toward the Canary Islands following multiple deaths and growing international concern over the outbreak.

    The Dutch-flagged vessel, carrying more than 140 passengers and crew members, is expected to arrive in Tenerife early Sunday. Spanish officials say strict containment and isolation measures will be enforced during the evacuation process.

    At least three passengers have died from the outbreak, while several others remain ill. Health authorities across multiple countries are now racing to trace passengers who left the ship before hantavirus infections were officially confirmed.

    Spain’s emergency services chief, Virginia Barcones, said all passengers would be moved through completely isolated and secured areas to prevent any public exposure. Travelers are expected to be transported directly from the ship to airports using guarded vehicles before returning to their home countries.

    The United States has agreed to send a plane to evacuate its 17 citizens from the cruise ship, while the United Kingdom is arranging a separate evacuation flight for nearly two dozen British nationals onboard.

    The World Health Organization has stressed that the overall public health risk remains low and urged people not to compare the outbreak to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said hantavirus is not “a new COVID” and emphasized that the virus is generally difficult to spread between humans. Hantavirus is commonly transmitted through exposure to infected rodent droppings, although the Andes strain linked to the outbreak may rarely spread between people.

    Concerns briefly intensified after a KLM flight attendant who had contact with an infected passenger became ill. However, health officials later confirmed she tested negative for the virus, easing fears of wider transmission.

    The outbreak has triggered international contact tracing efforts across Europe, Africa, North America, and the South Atlantic after dozens of passengers from at least 12 countries disembarked the ship before health alerts were issued.

    British authorities confirmed that a third U.K. national is now suspected of being infected with hantavirus after the cruise ship stopped at Tristan da Cunha, a remote British territory in the South Atlantic.

    South African and Dutch health authorities are also tracing individuals who may have come into contact with infected passengers during flights and port stops linked to the voyage.

    Despite growing concern, Spanish officials reassured residents of the Canary Islands that there would be no direct public interaction with evacuated passengers.

  • Deadly Hantavirus Outbreak Strands Cruise Ship MV Hondius Off Praia Amid Human Transmission Fears

    Deadly Hantavirus Outbreak Strands Cruise Ship MV Hondius Off Praia Amid Human Transmission Fears

    A deadly outbreak of Hantavirus has left a cruise ship stranded in the Atlantic Ocean, with sick crew members awaiting emergency evacuation and growing concerns over possible human-to-human transmission.

    The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, carrying nearly 150 passengers and crew, remains anchored off Praia after authorities in Cape Verde denied it permission to dock. The vessel has been unable to proceed while arrangements are made to airlift two infected crew members for urgent treatment in the Netherlands.

    According to the World Health Organization, at least three people have died in the outbreak, with two confirmed cases and five additional suspected infections. Health officials believe the virus involved may be the Andes strain, one of the few variants capable of spreading between humans under close-contact conditions.

    The ship’s operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, said passengers remain calm as strict isolation and hygiene protocols are enforced onboard. Plans are in place for the vessel to sail to the Canary Islands once the medical evacuation is completed, pending approval from Spanish authorities.

    Health experts report that symptoms among those infected included fever, gastrointestinal distress, and rapid progression to severe respiratory complications. One British patient is currently receiving intensive care treatment in Johannesburg after being evacuated earlier in the voyage. Another confirmed case involved a Dutch passenger who died en route to Europe.

    The ship began its यात्रा from Ushuaia in early April, stopping at remote locations including Antarctica, Tristan da Cunha, and Saint Helena. Investigators are examining whether exposure to wildlife during these stops may have triggered the outbreak.

    Officials say contact tracing is underway to identify individuals who may have been exposed during the voyage. While hantavirus is typically transmitted through contact with infected rodents, the World Health Organization warned that close-contact transmission between humans may have occurred in this case, particularly among passengers sharing cabins.

    This marks the first recorded hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship, raising fresh concerns about disease containment in isolated travel environments. There is currently no specific cure for the virus, with treatment focused on supportive care such as respiratory assistance.