Health authorities on four continents are in a race to locate and monitor passengers who disembarked from a cruise ship affected by hantavirus before the outbreak was identified, while also trying to trace individuals who may have had contact with them.
The outbreak has claimed the lives of three passengers, including a Dutch couple and a German national, with several others currently unwell. Symptoms typically appear between one and eight weeks after exposure.
The cruise operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, based in the Netherlands, confirmed on Thursday that none of the remaining passengers or crew members on the ship are displaying any symptoms.
In Argentina, investigators are yet to depart for the southern town where health officials believe the outbreak originated. They suspect that the Dutch couple may have contracted the virus during a bird-watching excursion before boarding the cruise ship.
Nearly two weeks after the first passenger’s death onboard, over two dozen people from at least 12 different countries disembarked the vessel without any contact tracing, according to the ship’s operator and Dutch officials.
The World Health Organization has assured that the risk to the general public is low as hantavirus is primarily contracted through contaminated rodent droppings and is not easily transmitted between individuals. Dr. Abdirahman Mahamud, the WHO’s alert and response director, emphasized the importance of public health measures and global solidarity.
Three individuals, including the ship’s doctor, were evacuated near Cape Verde and transferred to specialized hospitals in Europe for treatment.
The ship’s operator confirmed that 30 passengers, including the deceased Dutch man and his wife, left the vessel at St. Helena, though the Dutch Foreign Ministry estimated the number at around 40. It was revealed later that dozens more disembarked on April 24.
Health authorities only confirmed hantavirus in a ship passenger on May 2, a British man evacuated to South Africa. He remains in intensive care there.
Efforts are underway in countries like South Africa, Singapore, and the Netherlands to track passengers who were onboard the ship. The Dutch couple had traveled through Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay before embarking, visiting areas where the rat species carrying the Andes virus is present.
The WHO is working closely with Argentine health authorities to trace the couple’s journey and has facilitated the distribution of diagnostic kits to laboratories in five nations.
Argentina reported 28 hantavirus fatalities last year, an increase from the average of 15 deaths over the previous five years, with a significant portion proving fatal.
Regarding the UK, the UK Health Security Agency states that while hantavirus is a serious infection, the risk to the wider population is very low. Travel advice for Argentina includes information on hantavirus presence.
In France, a French national has been tested for hantavirus and isolated after displaying mild symptoms.
In the Netherlands, two hantavirus-infected patients are receiving treatment in specialist isolation units, with three others tested for the virus, including a flight attendant in direct contact with the deceased victim.
A man tested positive for hantavirus in Switzerland after disembarking at St. Helena, though his movements in between are unclear.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s director-general, warned of potential additional cases due to the virus’s incubation period but emphasized that the public health risk remains low.
He expressed gratitude to the ship’s operator, passengers, and crew for their cooperation during the challenging situation. Morale reportedly improved as the ship resumed movement.
For live updates, follow our blog on the hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship.