A cruise ship docked in Spain’s Canary Islands is at the center of a growing outbreak of hantavirus, which has killed three passengers and infected seven others across multiple continents.
The MV Hondius ship, which operates Oceanwide Expeditions, suffered an Andes strain hantavirus infection, which rodents typically carry, during a South American voyage in April.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported seven confirmed cases and two suspected cases as of Monday. Two deaths have been confirmed cases of hantavirus, with the third death classified as probable because the elderly Dutch man who first died on April 11 tested positive before he died.
His 69-year-old wife, who landed in South Africa, died two days after leaving the ship, his case confirmed. The death of a German woman was also confirmed on 2 May.
Passengers from the ship are returning home to the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands and other countries. An American and a French citizen have already tested positive after returning home.
Two British citizens are hospitalized in the Netherlands and South Africa. Differing quarantine protocols between nations underscore the international dimension of this outbreak.
WHO recommends 42 days of isolation for those leaving the ship. However, the US Centers for Disease Control, headed by Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, rejected this guidance, insisting that human-to-human transmission is rare and the situation should not be treated like COVID-19.
Both US travelers returned to biocontainment units out of an abundance of caution along with 17 US citizens undergoing clinical evaluation in Nebraska.
French Health Minister Stephanie Rist said the health of a woman in isolation in Paris has deteriorated and 22 contacts have been traced. The Canadian travelers landed in Victoria, British Columbia and are self-isolating for at least three weeks.
Four Australians, a Briton and a New Zealander were on board the ship with 54 passengers and crew docked at the Tenerife docks.
Symptoms of hantavirus include fever, extreme fatigue, muscle pain, stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea and trouble breathing. The Andes strain allows people to spread the virus between each other, yet health officials claim there will not be a widespread outbreak.
Captain Jan Dobrogowski issued a statement about the “extremely challenging” situation, showing his appreciation for the crew’s discipline and passenger patience. Spanish authorities confirmed that a police officer taking part in the repatriation operation died of heart failure.
