Deadly Hantavirus may have spread between humans on luxury cruise, but risk is low: WHO

Lead

The World Health Organization (WHO) suspects that some rare human-to-human transmission of hantavirus occurred among very close contacts on board a luxury cruise ship now anchored off the Cape Verde Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, where three passengers have died.

In its most detailed update on the outbreak, published late on Monday, the UN health body said the risk to the wider public was low from a disease typically spread from infected rodents that only rarely passes between humans.

Coverage Comparison

The cruise ship, the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, set sail from Argentina in late March on a voyage that included the Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia before heading across the Atlantic. It is now anchored near Cape Verde, off the west coast of Africa, after the island nation declined to let passengers ashore as a precaution.

Reports from multiple news organizations, including ABC Australia, Al Jazeera, BBC World, France 24 English, South China Morning Post, and The Hindu, all describe the WHO's suspicion of human-to-human transmission. The number of reported cases varies: some sources cite seven total cases (two confirmed and five suspected), while others report eight cases (including three deaths and five confirmed or suspected). The discrepancy appears to stem from whether suspected cases are counted separately from confirmed ones.

All sources agree that three passengers have died. The deceased include a Dutch couple and a German national, according to officials cited in reports from Al Jazeera, BBC World, and South China Morning Post. A British national was evacuated from the ship and is in intensive care in South Africa.

Key Claims

• Human-to-human transmission suspected: The WHO suspects that hantavirus may have spread between very close contacts on the ship, such as couples sharing rooms. This was stated by WHO officials including Maria Van Kerkhove, the agency's epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention director, as reported by France 24 and BBC World.
• Deaths: Three passengers have died. The identification of the virus in one of the deceased, a Dutch woman, was confirmed posthumously, according to The Hindu, which reported that South African health authorities tested passengers after they were removed from the ship.
• Case counts: Reports vary. The Hindu reported two confirmed cases and five suspected, while Al Jazeera reported eight cases including three deaths and five confirmed or suspected. Other sources, including ABC Australia and South China Morning Post, cited seven cases.
• Andes strain: The strain detected is the Andes virus, which is found in South America and is the only hantavirus known to be capable of limited human-to-human transmission, as reported by The Hindu and BBC World.
• Risk to public: The WHO reiterated that the risk to the wider public remains low, as transmission between humans is uncommon and typically requires prolonged close contact, according to multiple sources.

Perspectives

The WHO has provided the principal official perspective. Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove stated: "We do believe that there may be some human-to-human transmission that is happening among the really close contacts," and noted that "some people on the ship were couples, they were sharing rooms, so that's quite intimate contact." The agency also suspects that the first person to fall ill may have contracted the virus before boarding the ship, as reported by France 24.

Cape Verde authorities have not allowed the ship to dock as a precaution, according to reports from BBC World and South China Morning Post. Spain initially said it would "welcome" the ship, but Spanish authorities later said they had yet to decide whether to accept the vessel.

The ship's operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, said two crew members require urgent medical care, and the Dutch foreign ministry was preparing a medical evacuation of three people to the Netherlands, as reported by Al Jazeera.