The death toll from a hantavirus outbreak that erupted aboard a cruise ship registered under the flag of the Netherlands is currently at three. Nine individuals have been infected by the virus through this ship, according to the CBS.
Hantaviruses are a rare group of viruses that are typically transmitted through contact with infected rodent droppings, urine, or saliva. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these types of viral infections can lead to severe pulmonary complications. The strain of hantavirus identified aboard the M/V Hondius cruise ship is known as the Andes virus, which is the only hantavirus currently known to spread from person to person. Health officials say transmission generally requires prolonged close contact.
The World Health Organization confirmed that contact tracing operations and isolation protocols are currently taking place in several countries connected to passengers who left the M/V Hondius in April. Authorities are also investigating possible exposure involving a commercial flight tied to one infected traveler.
Oceanwide Expeditions said Thursday that no passengers or crew members currently on the ship are showing signs of illness, though experts warn the outbreak investigation is still ongoing.
Health officials who are investigating the outbreak believe they may have identified where the infection began; during a birdwatching excursion near a landfill site in Ushuaia — the southernmost city in the country.
According to an Associated Press report citing Argentine officials, investigators believe a Dutch couple may have contracted the virus during a visit to an area near Ushuaia’s landfill site, which reportedly had a large rodent population. It is believed they may have unknowingly brought the infection onboard the ship.
With growing fears that the situation could echo the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO expert Maria Van Kerkhove addressed the issue during a recent press conference, as reported by ABC News, saying, “This is not the next Covid, but it is a serious infectious disease. If people get infected, and infections are uncommon, they can die. People on the ship who are hearing this are very scared, rightly so.
“The general public might be scared as well. Accurate information is critical. Knowing what your actual exposure might be – most people will never be exposed to this.”
According to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, at least 12 countries are currently receiving support from the World Health Organization to monitor people who came home after leaving the cruise ship in Saint Helena. The countries include Canada, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, and United States.
Five US states have reported that they are monitoring persons who were aboard the vessel. According to reports, two individuals are under observation in Georgia, two others in Texas, one person in Arizona, and another in Virginia. The number of people being observed in California was not provided. It was also noted that no one among the subjects showed symptoms. On the other hand, the New Jersey Department of Health is monitoring two individuals who did not board the vessel but may have come into contact with a confirmed case on their plane, as per CBS.
On Friday morning, a WHO official confirmed to CBS News that a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight attendant who had contact with cruise passengers — and was hospitalized in the Netherlands for observation — tested negative for hantavirus.