health
Where did the cruise ship hantavirus come from and what happens next?
As the remaining passengers head for the Canary Islands we look at how the virus spreads and what is being done
TL;DR
- An outbreak of hantavirus occurred on the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius, with the first cases reported in April.
- Three deaths have been confirmed, including a Dutch couple and a German woman, with eight suspected cases and five confirmed by lab tests.
- The Andes strain of hantavirus, identified as the cause, is endemic to Argentina and can spread between people.
- Affected individuals have been evacuated to various locations, including Saint Helena, South Africa, Switzerland, and the Netherlands for treatment.
- The ship is en route to the Canary Islands, where remaining passengers will be repatriated if asymptomatic, with a 45-day self-isolation period recommended in the UK.
- Investigations are underway to trace the origin of the virus, with initial travel histories pointing to Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay for the first cases.
- Genetic sequencing of the virus is being conducted to understand potential changes and compare it with previous outbreaks.
- Health authorities stress that the risk to the wider public is low due to the virus's distinct transmission methods compared to illnesses like COVID-19.