US To Singapore, Countries On Alert As WHO Warns More Hantavirus Cases After Cruise Outbreak

The World Health Organization has warned that additional cases linked to the hantavirus outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius could emerge in the coming weeks, even as the agency continues to assess the broader global health risk as low.

Speaking at a media briefing, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak involves the Andes virus, a rare strain of hantavirus capable of limited human-to-human transmission through close contact.

“Given the incubation period of the Andes virus, which can extend up to six weeks, more cases could still be reported,” Tedros said.

Health experts noted that hantaviruses are usually spread through contact with infected rodents or exposure to their urine, saliva or droppings. However, the Andes virus, primarily found in Latin America, remains the only known hantavirus strain capable of limited transmission between humans.

Outbreak Emerged During Atlantic Cruise Voyage

The outbreak was detected aboard the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius, which was travelling from Argentina to Cabo Verde across the Atlantic Ocean.

According to the WHO, eight cases linked to the outbreak have been identified so far, including three deaths. Of these, five have been laboratory confirmed, while three remain suspected infections.

Passengers connected to the outbreak belong to multiple countries, including Argentina, South Africa, Switzerland, the Netherlands and St Helena, prompting international health monitoring efforts.

The growing number of countries involved has raised concerns over potential exposure chains as passengers returned home after disembarking from the vessel.

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Several Countries Begin Monitoring Exposed Passengers

Authorities in the Netherlands confirmed that three passengers linked to the outbreak have been transferred there for treatment, according to cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions.

Those patients include a British passenger, a 65-year-old German national and a 41-year-old Dutch crew member. Two are reportedly in serious condition, while the third individual, despite remaining asymptomatic, is under medical observation.

In South Africa, a British passenger who became ill aboard the vessel on April 27 remains in intensive care at a private hospital in Johannesburg. WHO identified him as the second confirmed hantavirus patient and said his condition is gradually improving.

Meanwhile, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said a passenger who travelled to Switzerland after leaving the ship later tested positive for hantavirus and is currently receiving treatment in Zurich.

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UK, US and Singapore Intensify Surveillance Measures

The UK Health Security Agency said two British nationals who disembarked at St Helena on April 24 are currently self-isolating at home following possible exposure to the virus.

British authorities are also monitoring several other passengers linked to the voyage, including one individual who has not yet returned to the United Kingdom.

In the United States, health officials are observing three people who returned home after leaving the cruise ship. Authorities in Georgia and Arizona said those under surveillance have not shown symptoms so far, while reports indicated that other American passengers travelled back to Texas and Virginia.

Singapore’s Communicable Diseases Agency said two men in their 60s are isolating and undergoing testing for possible hantavirus infection. One has developed mild cold-like symptoms, while the other remains asymptomatic.

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