WHO Declares Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship Over

The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that an outbreak of hantavirus, which occurred on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius in the Atlantic Ocean in April, has concluded. Thirteen individuals were infected during the outbreak, resulting in three fatalities, including a Dutch couple. The specific strain identified was the Andes variant, typically found in South America, which is notable for its potential human-to-human transmission, though the exact mechanism remains unclear. This virus can cause severe respiratory and cardiac issues. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus indicated the outbreak was subsiding, with no new infections reported among the thirty individuals under active global surveillance. The WHO has identified over 650 contacts of infected persons across 33 countries and territories and plans to continue collaborating with governments to understand the outbreak's origins and the virus itself. The MV Hondius, carrying approximately 150 passengers, was on a 46-day voyage from Argentina to Cape Verde, including a stop near the Falkland Islands, when the illnesses began. Among the deceased were a 69-year-old Dutch man who died on April 11th, his wife who passed away later in Johannesburg, and a 65-year-old German woman who died aboard the ship on May 2nd. The couple was reportedly infected during a birdwatching excursion in Ushuaia, Argentina, according to Argentinian officials cited by the Associated Press.