Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship MV Hondius: Three Deaths Confirmed, Passengers Repatriated
Three people have died and nine others are confirmed or probable cases of hantavirus following an outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius, which docked in Tenerife. The Andes strain contracted by passengers is rare and primarily transmitted through rodent contact, though limited human-to-human transmission is possible under close, prolonged contact. Passengers are being repatriated to their home countries with varying isolation protocols based on infection status and symptoms.
A hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship has resulted in three deaths and nine confirmed or probable cases among 147 passengers. The outbreak is believed to have originated when a Dutch couple, the first to fall ill, were exposed to rodent droppings during a bird-watching tour at a landfill site in Ushuaia, Argentina, before boarding the ship in late March. The Andes strain of hantavirus contracted by passengers can cause hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) with fatality rates reaching 40-50% globally, though rates vary by region. Unlike COVID-19, the virus requires much closer and more sustained contact for human-to-human transmission, and the long incubation period of six to eight weeks delayed symptom onset aboard the ship. Passengers have been repatriated to their home countries with medical checks and isolation protocols varying by country and infection status, with some hospitalized and others in self-isolation.
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Hantavirus: How is the outbreak being contained?
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