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WHO dismisses pandemic fears over hantavirus cases on cruise
The World Health Organization (WHO) has moved to reassure the public that a recent hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship in the South Atlantic does not pose a global pandemic threat. Unlike COVID-19, the virus spreads only through close, intimate contact, officials said.
Confirmed cases and fatalities
Five of eight suspected hantavirus cases on the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius have been confirmed, the WHO reported on Thursday. Three passengers have died, including a 69-year-old Dutch woman who tested positive for the virus. Her husband and a German woman also died, though their cases remain under investigation.
Hantavirus typically transmits from rodents, but the WHO noted this outbreak marks the first documented instance of human-to-human spread.
Cruise details and passenger tracing
The luxury vessel, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, departed Ushuaia, Argentina, on 1 April and is en route to Spain's Canary Islands. Initially carrying 150 passengers and crew from 28 countries, dozens disembarked on 24 April in St Helena, a remote British Overseas Territory.
Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed 29 passengers of at least 12 nationalities left the ship in St Helena. The Dutch government reported 40 disembarked, including a Swiss national later confirmed to have the virus. Seven of those were British nationals, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
Two British passengers are self-isolating in the UK, while four remain in St Helena. Tracing efforts continue for a seventh individual who has not returned to the UK.
WHO response and transmission risks
At a Thursday briefing, WHO infectious disease epidemiologist Maria van Kerkhove emphasized the virus's limited spread compared to COVID-19 or influenza. "This is not the same situation as six years ago," she said, noting authorities had mandated masks aboard the MV Hondius and higher protective gear for those in contact with suspected cases.
WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus assessed the public health risk as "low" but warned more cases could emerge due to the virus's six-week incubation period. The first two confirmed cases involved passengers who had visited rodent-infested sites in Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay during a bird-watching trip.
Evacuations and ongoing investigations
Three passengers-a British, Dutch, and German national-were evacuated from the ship on Wednesday. The Dutch woman who died in South Africa had disembarked in St Helena and boarded a KLM flight from Johannesburg to the Netherlands before falling ill. Dutch authorities are monitoring passengers from that flight.
The German woman's death on 2 May remains unconfirmed as hantavirus-related, and her body remains on the ship. The Dutch man who died on 11 April is also not a confirmed case.
Singapore's Communicable Diseases Agency is isolating and testing two men-a 67-year-old Singaporean and a 65-year-old permanent resident-who took the same flight from St Helena to Johannesburg as the deceased Dutch woman. Their test results are pending.
Global monitoring efforts
Two U.S. states, Georgia and Arizona, are tracking three passengers who returned from the cruise. None have shown symptoms. Argentina's health ministry plans to test rodents in Ushuaia, the ship's departure point.
Oceanwide Expeditions said the first confirmed case was reported on 4 May and that all disembarked passengers have been contacted. The company is coordinating with authorities on quarantine and screening procedures for the ship's arrival.
Public advisory
The WHO urged vigilance but stressed the outbreak's limited scope. "This is a contained situation, but we must remain cautious," Dr. Tedros said.
