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Tag: South Atlantic cruise

  • 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.