The cruise ship MV Hondius had set off from Argentina on April 1. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that the last individual who had been identified as a contact of a hantavirus-exposed person aboard the MV Hondius had successfully completed their quarantine period. He added that the individual tested negative for the virus and had since returned home, marking the end of the monitoring process for all known contacts.

Dr Tedros said that no further cases have been reported since May 25 and the “WHO considers the hantavirus outbreak over”.

On Thursday, the WHO reported that authorities across 33 countries and territories had identified and monitored more than 650 contacts linked to the outbreak.

The agency said it would continue collaborating with governments and international partners to deepen its understanding of the outbreak, while also advancing research and knowledge about hantavirus more broadly.

Speaking at the briefing, WHO medical officer Dr Diana Rojas Alverez said: “Andes virus and other hantaviruses are still a public health risk for South America, and some other endemic areas…

“What we need to continue doing is to keep monitoring this virus, keep preparing for further spread.”

Hantavirus is most commonly transmitted through contact with rodents, with infection occurring when people inhale airborne virus particles originating from rodent urine, droppings or saliva.

The illness can cause a range of symptoms, including fever, severe fatigue, muscle aches, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea and shortness of breath.

These symptoms typically develop between two and four weeks after exposure to the virus, although in some cases they may not appear for more than a month.

This extended incubation period is the reason health authorities recommended a lengthy isolation period for passengers who may have been exposed.