An outbreak of hantavirus on the M/V Hondius cruise ship has led to at least 11 confirmed or suspected cases and three deaths, triggering evacuations and quarantines in more than 20 countries. The World Health Organization said the cluster is linked to a type of hantavirus found in Argentina that can spread from person to person. Laboratories across three continents confirmed passenger-to-passenger transmission, and the virus exhibits a reduced capacity to mutate compared with influenza or coronaviruses, according to Mercopress.
The 18 Americans who were aboard the ship arrived back in the United States on Monday. PBS NewsHour and NBC News reported that 16 were transported to a specialized quarantine unit in Nebraska, while two were taken to a similar unit in Atlanta. Two of the Americans were placed in biocontainment units: one passenger who tested mildly positive and another who was showing symptoms, according to NBC News.
In Europe, Spain's health ministry announced Tuesday that a Spanish passenger evacuated from the ship tested positive for the virus, Newsmax reported. France confirmed a positive case in a passenger flown back on Sunday, and several contact cases were being isolated, RFI stated. In the United Kingdom, 22 people began a 45-day isolation period, spending the first 72 hours at Arrowe Park Hospital, Channel 4 News reported.
The final passengers disembarked the ship in Tenerife before boarding flights to quarantine facilities, Euronews noted. The World Health Organization warned that more hantavirus cases could emerge, but officials said the situation is likely to remain limited, according to RFI. Health officials have identified at least 11 confirmed or suspected cases tied to the outbreak, CBS News reported. The outbreak killed three passengers, RFI added.
Passengers are now under monitoring and isolation in multiple countries, with health authorities tracking contacts and implementing quarantine measures.
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