Hantavirus Outbreak on MV Hondius: Two Indian Nationals Under Observation
Overview of the Hantavirus Situation
MV Hondius (Photo - @Reuters / X)
Guwahati, May 9: Two Indian citizens aboard the Dutch expedition cruise ship MV Hondius, which is linked to a hantavirus outbreak resulting in three fatalities, are currently asymptomatic and under medical supervision, as reported through International Health Regulations.
The outbreak, tied to the Andes strain of hantavirus, has led to eight suspected and confirmed cases among the ship's passengers, who were traveling from South America to Africa.
Health officials from various nations are actively tracing contacts and monitoring passengers, especially since some had disembarked prior to the confirmation of infections.
Despite these developments, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reassured the public that the overall health risk remains low and advised against panic.
“The risk is extremely low. This is not akin to a new COVID,” stated WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier, following a flight attendant's negative test after brief contact with an infected individual.
According to cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions, no passengers currently on board are exhibiting symptoms of infection.
The ship is scheduled to dock on Sunday in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, where passengers will be moved to a secure isolation area before repatriation begins.
Spanish officials have announced that passengers will be evacuated in small groups using secured transport, with specific airport sections remaining sealed during the process.
The United States and the United Kingdom have already begun plans to evacuate their citizens from the vessel, with reports indicating that nearly twenty British nationals and around seventeen Americans are still on board.
Hantavirus is primarily transmitted through contact with infected rodent droppings and is not typically regarded as highly contagious among humans. However, the Andes strain involved in this outbreak has shown rare instances of limited human-to-human transmission. Symptoms may appear between one to eight weeks post-exposure.
Global concern heightened after a Dutch passenger, whose husband had previously died on the ship, fell critically ill during a flight from Johannesburg to Amsterdam and later passed away after being removed from the aircraft in South Africa.
Health authorities in South Africa, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK, and the US are continuing their contact tracing efforts related to this outbreak.