WHO: Hantavirus Case Not Caught on Ship, Likely Contracted Before Boarding

A World Health Organization expert has provided crucial clarification regarding the hantavirus cases aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship, stating that the initial victim likely contracted the potentially deadly virus before setting sail from Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1. This assessment is based on the typical incubation period of hantavirus, which ranges from one to six weeks, making it improbable that the infection occurred during the voyage.

The WHO was alerted to a rare but serious outbreak after three passengers died, with one confirmed case of hantavirus. The first to fall ill was a 70-year-old Dutch passenger, who began showing symptoms on April 6 and died on April 11. His wife, aged 69, has since been confirmed positive for hantavirus, while a third passenger, a German national, is also suspected to have died from the virus. Two other individuals on board have tested positive and are receiving hospital treatment, with three more suspected cases evacuated for further care.

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The incubation period — the time between infection and the onset of symptoms — is between one and six weeks”, but it is typically “more like two to three weeks

This situation highlights the global health concerns that can arise from infectious diseases, even in seemingly controlled environments like a cruise ship. While the WHO expert's findings suggest the outbreak did not originate on the vessel, the incident underscores the importance of rigorous health screenings and preparedness for potential outbreaks during international travel. The ship, which had been anchored off Cape Verde, is now en route to the Canary Islands, Spain, as investigations and health monitoring continue.

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So the first case “could not have been infected on the ship, or on one of the islands” it called at on the way towards Cape Verde. The man “very clearly had exposure before boarding the ship”, an exposure “certainly linked to a rodent”