The Current Status of the Hantavirus Outbreak
The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that the threat of hantavirus is currently “stable for now.” This was confirmed by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who shared this information through social media. The outbreak was first reported on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius several weeks ago. Since then, there have been a dozen confirmed cases of hantavirus and three related deaths, including a Dutch couple and a German woman.
Some American passengers from the ship were placed in quarantine at facilities in the U.S. South, where they are still under surveillance. Others who left the ship before the outbreak was reported are being monitored in their homes.
Ghebreyesus emphasized that all passengers and crew remain in quarantine and under close monitoring to ensure they receive care if needed. He added that the situation is stable for now, but the WHO continues to remain vigilant and in close contact with all relevant governments.
Understanding the Virus
The strain of virus that spread on the ship is the Andes virus, which is the only known hantavirus strain capable of spreading between humans. After all American passengers were returned to the U.S., Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., announced that he had signed a declaration to “support the development and deployment of medical countermeasures related to Andes virus.”
This action aims to remove barriers to research and response efforts while continuing to monitor the recent outbreak linked to the South Atlantic cruise ship.
Dr. David Fitter, the incident manager for response to the virus at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stated that the risk to the general public remains low. He noted that there are no hantavirus cases among the returned U.S. passengers.
Fitter also mentioned that the majority of the 18 quarantined passengers will stay at the University of Nebraska through the end of the month. Two others are staying at Emory Hospital in Georgia.
Passenger Experiences and Concerns
While some passengers are trying to make the best of their situation during quarantine, others have expressed frustration over not being allowed to leave. Angela Perryman, 47, told The New York Times that she was required to stay in a locked facility and denied the right to home quarantine. She received a federal order requiring her to stay in Nebraska, according to NPR. Perryman lives in Ecuador but has a home in Florida.
It is unclear whether the passengers will be allowed to leave the center before the end of the full 42-day quarantine period. However, it may take up to 42 days for hantavirus symptoms to appear after exposure, as noted by the CDC.
Medical Evaluation and Transmission Concerns
Passengers’ cases will be evaluated individually, according to Dr. Michael Wadman, the medical director of Nebraska’s national quarantine unit. Part of the reason for the strict restrictions is that scientists do not yet fully understand how the Andes virus is able to pass from person to person.
Dr. Carlos del Rio, the International Secretary of the National Academy of Medicine, explained that evidence suggests transmission requires close or prolonged contact, but there have been outbreaks where people with relatively limited exposure also became infected. Fortunately, these outbreaks have remained small and relatively contained.
Exposure to the urine, droppings, or saliva of infected rodents causes initial infection. Early symptoms of the Andes virus are flu-like, but can lead to trouble breathing and fluid in the lungs. The mortality rate can reach up to 50 percent, depending on access to care.
Public Health Implications
Hantavirus cases are rare in the U.S., typically occurring in rural areas of the Southwest. Del Rio noted that hantavirus does not spread as easily as Covid. “Hantavirus is very difficult to transmit from person to person, which fundamentally limits its pandemic potential,” he said.
