Health Authorities Track Passengers After Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship
Health authorities across multiple continents are closely monitoring passengers who left a cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak before the first fatality was reported. The focus is on identifying individuals who may have come into contact with those who disembarked, ensuring that potential spread of the virus is contained.
In Argentina, officials from the Health Ministry mentioned that a team of investigators has not yet left for the southern town believed to be the origin of the outbreak. They suspect a Dutch couple might have contracted the virus during a bird-watching trip before boarding the ship.
Cruise Ship Fatalities and Disembarkation
On April 24, nearly two weeks after the first passenger’s death onboard, over two dozen individuals from at least 12 different countries disembarked without undergoing contact tracing, according to the ship’s operator and Dutch officials. Three passengers have died due to the outbreak, which includes the Dutch couple and a German national, while several others are reported ill, with symptoms typically appearing one to eight weeks after exposure.
Oceanwide Expeditions, the cruise company, stated that none of the remaining passengers or crew members currently exhibit symptoms. The World Health Organization (WHO) has assessed the risk to the general public as low, noting that hantavirus is primarily spread through contaminated rodent droppings and does not easily transmit between humans.
Health Authorities Confirm Cases and Monitor Contacts
Health authorities confirmed the first case of hantavirus on the ship on May 2, involving a British man who was evacuated to South Africa three days after the ship’s stop at St. Helena. His condition remains serious in intensive care.
On Wednesday, it was reported that a man tested positive for hantavirus in Switzerland after disembarking at St. Helena, although his movements remain unclear. Singaporean health officials are also monitoring two men who traveled from St. Helena to South Africa and then to Singapore, isolating and testing them as a precaution.
Tracing Contacts in South Africa
The Dutch health ministry reported that a flight attendant on a plane briefly boarded by an infected passenger in South Africa is showing symptoms of hantavirus and will be tested in an isolation ward in Amsterdam. The passenger, the Dutch woman whose husband died onboard, was too ill to continue her journey and passed away in Johannesburg.
If the flight attendant tests positive, she could be the first confirmed case outside the MV Hondius. Currently, the ship is en route to Spain’s Canary Islands, carrying over 140 passengers and crew members.
Investigation into Outbreak Source
Tests have confirmed that at least five individuals aboard the ship were infected with the Andes virus, a hantavirus variant that can spread between humans. The outbreak’s source investigation is focusing on Argentina, where the Dutch couple traveled through regions known for the virus’s rodent carriers.
Investigators from Argentina’s Health Ministry are targeting the town of Ushuaia as a potential outbreak source. Plans are underway for a scientific team to analyze local rodent populations for the virus.
Rising Hantavirus Cases in Argentina
Argentina’s Health Ministry reported 28 hantavirus deaths last year, a significant increase from an average of 15 fatalities in the previous five years. The country has witnessed a concerning rise in hantavirus cases, with nearly a third of last year’s cases resulting in death.
