Global Response to Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship
Countries around the world are taking proactive measures to prevent the spread of hantavirus following an outbreak on a cruise ship. The virus, which has already claimed the lives of three individuals, is being closely monitored as authorities track those who disembarked before the outbreak was detected and anyone who had close contact with them.
The victims include a Dutch couple and a German national, all of whom were aboard the MV Hondius. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that five people have been confirmed to have contracted the virus, with three more suspected cases. While hantavirus is typically transmitted by rodents, it can occasionally spread from person to person.
Tracking Passengers and Contacts
Passengers who disembarked in St. Helena, a stop in the South Atlantic Ocean on April 24, have been contacted by the ship’s operator. This group included individuals from at least 12 different countries, including seven British citizens and six from the United States. The first confirmed case of hantavirus in this outbreak was identified in early May.
WHO Clarifies the Risk
The WHO emphasized that the risk to the general public remains low, even though the Andean strain of the virus found in several victims can, in rare cases, be transmitted among humans. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO director of epidemic and pandemic management, stated during a press conference: “This is not coronavirus, this is a very different virus.” She added that the situation is not comparable to the one experienced six years ago.
The WHO is currently developing step-by-step guidance for when the remaining passengers, who are sailing to the Canary Islands, disembark and travel home. None of these passengers currently show any symptoms.
Monitoring and Contact Tracing Efforts
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States is closely monitoring the situation, stating that the risk to the American public is extremely low at this time. President Donald Trump mentioned that he had been briefed on the hantavirus and expressed hope that the situation was under control.
“I hope not,” he said when asked if Americans should be concerned about the spread of the virus. He also mentioned that a report on the virus was expected on Friday.
Several U.S. states are monitoring individuals who returned home after disembarking from the cruise ship. In Georgia, two asymptomatic residents are being monitored, while Arizona is tracking one resident who was on the ship. According to the New York Times, California is also monitoring a number of residents who were on the ship. In Texas, officials noted that two residents who were passengers on the ship returned to the U.S. before the outbreak was identified.
One French citizen has been in contact with a person who fell ill but is not showing symptoms, according to officials.
Evacuations and Medical Care
Three patients were evacuated from the ship on Wednesday. Two of them were admitted to a hospital in the Netherlands, while another was transferred to Germany for medical care. Martin Anstee, an expedition guide, was one of the two evacuees in the Netherlands. He told Sky News that he was “doing okay” but still undergoing tests.
The Duesseldorf University Clinic, treating the German evacuee, confirmed that she was not a confirmed case but rather a contact undergoing tests. In Switzerland, a man who traveled on the cruise ship tested positive for the infection. A Danish citizen who was aboard the Hondius has returned home and is advised to self-isolate as a precaution.
In Canada, officials reported that two Canadians on the cruise returned home before the outbreak was identified. Another Canadian was on the same flight as a symptomatic person. All three are currently asymptomatic.
Ongoing Investigations and Reporting
Oceanwide Expeditions is working to establish details of all passengers and crew who embarked and disembarked on various stops since March 20. The Dutch couple who died, believed to be the first hantavirus cases of this outbreak, boarded the ship on April 1.
Dutch airline KLM took the Dutch woman off a plane in Johannesburg on April 25 due to her deteriorating medical condition. She died before reaching the Netherlands. According to broadcaster RTL, a KLM stewardess who had been in contact with her has been admitted to a hospital in Amsterdam after showing possible hantavirus symptoms.
Crew and passengers who helped the Dutch woman who passed away are being called daily for health checks, according to Dutch authorities.
