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Tag: Oceanwide Expeditions

  • 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.

  • 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.