Hantavirus Outbreak: Cruise Ship 'Hondius' to Arrive in Tenerife Sunday Amidst Health Concerns

A cruise ship, the 'Hondius,' currently grappling with a Hantavirus outbreak, is en route to Granadilla, Tenerife, with an anticipated arrival on Sunday morning. The situation is being managed by a consortium of international and national health organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and health authorities from the Netherlands and Spain.

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derzeit zeige niemand auf der «Hondius» Symptome.

Oceanwide Expeditions, the ship's operator, has stated that no passengers are currently exhibiting symptoms. However, the WHO has confirmed a serious development with six Hantavirus cases and two suspected cases aboard, tragically resulting in three fatalities. The affected individuals include an elderly Dutch couple and a German woman.

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dass es sich bei dem Hantavirus-Ausbruch um eine ernste Entwicklung handle, aber keinesfalls um den Beginn einer Pandemie.

Further complicating matters, a passenger being treated in Germany shows no active infection, but due to the virus's long incubation period, medical professionals can only clear her after eight weeks. The WHO has emphasized the gravity of the outbreak, while also cautioning against characterizing it as the beginning of a pandemic. Hantaviruses are typically spread by rodents, but the Andes strain involved here has been known to transmit between humans in rare instances.

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Wegen der langen Inkubationszeit könnten die Ärzte erst nach acht Wochen Entwarnung geben, erklärte der UKD-Bereichsleiter Tropenmedizin, Torsten Feldt. Man könne nur sagen, dass die Kontaktperson derzeitig keine aktive Infektion habe.