Rare Andes Hantavirus Sends MV Hondius Toward Spain

The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius is expected to leave waters off Cape Verde for Spain’s Canary Islands after medical evacuations, The Japan Times reported, as health authorities investigate a fatal hantavirus cluster. Reuters, carried by GMA News, reported that South Africa identified the rare Andes strain among victims, a type of hantavirus that can spread between people in rare close-contact situations.

Key developments

• The World Health Organization has identified seven medical cases linked to the cruise, including two confirmed hantavirus infections and three deaths. Nippon.com, citing Jiji Press, reported that about 150 passengers and crew were aboard and that one Japanese traveler was among the passengers.

• Oceanwide Expeditions said three people previously awaiting medical transfer had been disembarked from MV Hondius and were being flown by medical aircraft for specialized care. Two were in serious condition, while the third was asymptomatic but closely associated with a person who died on board.

• Japan Today’s AP report described deserted decks, medical teams in protective gear and passengers largely isolating as authorities coordinated the response. Passengers have been told to stay in cabins where possible, practice distancing and follow hygiene measures.

• The outbreak timeline remains under investigation. WHO said the vessel departed Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1 and traveled across the South Atlantic, with illness onset reported between April 6 and April 28. Hantavirus is usually linked to exposure to infected rodents, but WHO has noted that limited human-to-human transmission has previously been reported with Andes virus.

What to watch

The next confirmed update is likely to focus on the ship’s exact arrival point in the Canary Islands and the screening, quarantine and repatriation procedures for passengers and crew. Oceanwide said the onward destination was the Canary Islands but that final arrival details and onward travel depend on medical advice and stringent screening.

The biggest unresolved question is how the infections began and whether any transmission occurred on board. WHO says epidemiological investigations, laboratory testing, sequencing and metagenomics are continuing, and it currently assesses the risk to the global population as low while monitoring for new information.

Sources

• The Japan Times
• Japan Today
• Nippon.com News
• World Health Organization
• Oceanwide Expeditions
• GMA News Online / Reuters

Photo by Andre Sayson on Unsplash