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The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed that eight passengers infected in an outbreak of hantavirus aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship tested positive for the Andes virus strain, which is known to be transmissible between humans.
The UN health agency said in its latest update that eight cases were laboratory-confirmed, while two others were classified as probable and one remains inconclusive pending further testing.
“Eight cases were laboratory-confirmed for Andes virus (ANDV) infection, two are probable, and one case remains inconclusive and is undergoing further testing, ” the UN health agency said.
According to the WHO, three deaths have been recorded among passengers since the ship departed Argentina on April 1 for a cruise across the Atlantic Ocean.
It said two of the deceased had confirmed Andes virus infections, while the third case was still being treated as probable.
The Andes strain is the only known hantavirus variant capable of human-to-human transmission, unlike other strains that typically spread from rodents through contact with urine, faeces or saliva.
The WHO stated that all identified cases in the current outbreak are linked to individuals who were onboard the cruise vessel.
It added that one passenger, an American national who was repatriated, remains under observation after returning an inconclusive test result and is currently asymptomatic while further testing is conducted.
The agency maintained that the public health risk remains “moderate” for those who were on the ship, but “low” for the general global population.
Health authorities said the exact source of the outbreak is still unknown, but evidence suggests initial infection likely occurred before the voyage began.
The WHO explained that the first confirmed fatality, a 70-year-old Dutch passenger, developed symptoms on April 6, within the virus’ incubation period of one to six weeks, supporting the conclusion that exposure likely happened prior to the cruise.
