The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a fresh update regarding the hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius.
Operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, the vessel departed from Ushuaia on April 1 carrying 149 people, including 88 passengers and 59 crew members.
Since the voyage began, three individuals have tragically died either aboard the ship or after disembarking following infection with hantavirus, a disease primarily transmitted by rodents.
Although most hantavirus strains are not spread from person to person, rare cases of human transmission have been documented with the Andes strain — the variant identified in this outbreak.
During a press conference today, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus provided an update on the situation.
He confirmed that eight cases have so far been reported, including three deaths. Of these, five cases have been laboratory-confirmed as hantavirus infections, while the remaining three are considered suspected cases.
Dr. Tedros noted that additional infections could still emerge due to the virus’s incubation period.
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