As authorities attempt to track down at least 29 passengers of the MV Hondius who departed the ship after the first fatality on 24 April, the World Health Organisation has categorically stated that “this is not the start of a pandemic.”
A global race is underway as authorities attempt to locate at least 29 passengers of 12 nationalities who disembarked a cruise ship after an outbreak of hantavirus killed three and left five others falling seriously ill.
The Dutch cruise ship was to visit Antarctica and several islands, departing from Argentina on 1 April and had a capacity of 196 passengers and 72 crew. Around 150 passengers were present on this particular voyage, with passengers mostly from Europe and the USA and staff from the Philippines.
What is Hantavirus?
The term refers to a group of viruses primarily carried by rodents. One particular strain, the Andes virus, is found mostly in South America and has confirmed cases of zoonotic transmission- from animals to humans. Andes virus is the predominant cause of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a serious condition characterised by flu-like symptoms that can rapidly progress to life-threatening respiratory failure. It was confirmed in South Africa on 6 May that the current outbreak is from the Andes virus.
Unlike COVID-19, hantavirus is not transmitted from person to person but through exposure to virus-contaminated rodent droppings, urine, or saliva. This mode of transmission significantly limits the potential for widespread human-to-human outbreaks.
The WHO has been clear in its messaging that hantavirus does not present the same pandemic risk posed by novel respiratory viruses like SARS-CoV-2. Instead, hantavirus outbreaks tend to be localised and tied to environmental exposure risks.
Despite these differences, the severity of HPS and the cruise ship’s itinerary, which included multiple international ports of call, have complicated efforts to track and monitor potentially exposed individuals.
Coordinating a multi-national response
Governments and health agencies have employed a combination of passenger manifests, immigration records, and travel data to identify individuals at risk.
Several countries have issued alerts urging former passengers to come forward for health screening and to report any symptoms immediately. Public health messages emphasise that while hantavirus cannot spread between people, identifying those potentially exposed is essential to prevent delayed diagnoses and to manage clinical care proactively.
Key symptoms of hantavirus infection includes:
- Fever
- Muscle aches
- Dizziness
- Respiratory distress.
Early detection is critical for effective treatment and improving survival rates. Treatment primarily involves intensive respiratory support, including mechanical ventilation in severe cases.
Researchers continue to study hantavirus strains responsible for the current outbreak to better understand their pathogenicity and to develop improved diagnostic tools. Enhanced surveillance is also underway in port cities visited by the cruise ship to detect any secondary cases potentially linked to environmental exposure.
Currently, Spain has agreed to allow the vessel to dock in the Canary Islands after Cabo Verde declined the request, citing public health concerns.
Infectious disease experts and doctors are part of the response team, as WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom stated in a media briefing on 7 May. He cautioned that more cases may appear due to the six-week incubation period of the virus, but reiterated that “At this stage, the overall public health risk remains low.”
“This is not the start of an epidemic. This is not the start of a pandemic. This is not Covid,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO acting director for epidemic and pandemic management. “Hantaviruses have been around for quite a while. We know this virus. It does not spread the same way that coronaviruses do.”