Cruise ship hantavirus outbreak sparks international effort to track passengers
Health officials in over a dozen countries, including the U.S., are tracking passengers from the cruise ship MV *Hondius* after a deadly hantavirus outbreak involving three deaths and eight confirmed or suspected cases. The Andes strain of the virus, which can spread through close personal contact, originated from a birdwatching expedition in Argentina and has led to international contact tracing efforts despite WHO classifying the public health risk as low.
Health authorities across at least a dozen countries, including the United States, are coordinating to track passengers from the cruise ship *MV Hondius* after a hantavirus outbreak that has killed three people and infected five others, with three more suspected cases. The passengers, now dispersed across five U.S. states—Arizona, California, Georgia, Texas, and Virginia—have not reported symptoms, though the virus has an incubation period of up to six weeks. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the outbreak involves the Andes strain, which can spread between people through close contact, though WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated the public health risk remains low. The outbreak began after a birdwatching expedition from Argentina to Cape Verde, with the first death recorded on April 11. On April 24, 29 passengers disembarked at St. Helena without contact tracing, including six Americans, while 114 guests boarded in Ushuaia, Argentina, and six more joined at Tristan da Cunha, totaling 120 passengers. Cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions is working to locate all passengers who left the ship in St. Helena and has contacted them directly. WHO and national health officials confirmed person-to-person transmission is possible, though less likely than airborne diseases like influenza or COVID-19. A Dutch flight attendant, hospitalized and being tested for hantavirus, was not a passenger on the cruise but may have been exposed during a KLM flight from Johannesburg to Amsterdam, where a Dutch woman who died from the virus was briefly on board before removal. KLM declined to comment further due to privacy concerns. The passengers affected represent 12 nationalities, though two individuals’ home countries remain unknown. Health officials emphasize the risk to the general public remains minimal, though monitoring continues as the incubation period extends up to six weeks. The outbreak has prompted international cooperation to trace contacts and prevent further spread of the rare but potentially deadly virus.
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