A cluster of hantavirus cases, including three deaths, has been linked to the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius. The vessel departed from southern Argentina on April 1 with about 150 people on board, including 17 U.S. citizens. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed five infections and said laboratory tests point to the Andes virus, the only hantavirus known to spread between humans.
At a press conference, WHO officials stressed this is not the start of a pandemic. "This is not SARS-CoV-2. This is not the start of a COVID pandemic. This is an outbreak that we see on a ship," said Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove. She emphasized the Andes virus requires close, intimate contact to spread and does not transmit like coronaviruses.
The WHO and U.S. CDC are coordinating contact tracing. About 40 people disembarked at St. Helena, including seven U.S. citizens now spread across several states. Both agencies assess the risk to the public as low.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus commented on recent U.S. and Argentine withdrawals from the WHO, saying, "Viruses don't care about politics... they don't care about borders." He added he hopes the countries will reconsider their positions. The CDC is providing technical support.
Hantavirus infections are rare but can be deadly, with fatality rates from 1% to 50% depending on the strain. There is no specific cure, but early medical care improves survival. The Andes virus is the only hantavirus known to transmit from person to person.