WHO: Cruise Ship Hantavirus Cases May Rise Further, Expects Limited Outbreak Scale
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the hantavirus cluster on the cruise ship "MV Hondius" has accumulated 5 confirmed and 3 suspected cases, with potential for further increase. However, WHO emphasized that the outbreak scale will be limited if countries implement thorough prevention measures.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 8, 2026 at 11:46
- 🔍 Collected: May 8, 2026 at 12:01 (15 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 9, 2026 at 00:43 (12h 41m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, Geneva, May 7, comprehensive foreign report) The World Health Organization (WHO) today stated that the hantavirus cluster on the cruise ship "MV Hondius" has accumulated 5 confirmed and 3 suspected cases, and the number of cases may rise further, but emphasized that as long as countries implement thorough prevention measures, the scale of the outbreak will be quite limited.
Agence France-Presse reported that an hantavirus cluster erupted on Oceanwide Expeditions' "MV Hondius" cruise ship, with patients testing positive for the "Andes strain," which can be transmitted from person to person, drawing global attention.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Geneva that 5 confirmed and 3 suspected cases have been reported so far, with 3 deaths among them. "Considering that the incubation period for the Andes strain can be up to 6 weeks, more cases may emerge in the future."
Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands later announced an additional positive case.
Oceanwide Expeditions stated that after successively evacuating 4 patients recently, all personnel on board are currently asymptomatic. The MV Hondius is expected to arrive in Tenerife, Spain, on the 10th.
According to Oceanwide Expeditions, an infected Dutch male died on board on April 11th. His wife, who accompanied his body ashore on Saint Helena on April 24th, then took a commercial flight from Saint Helena to Johannesburg, South Africa, while symptomatic. On the same day, 29 other passengers disembarked.
Tedros stated that WHO has notified 12 countries that their citizens disembarked on Saint Helena; South African airline "Airlink" noted that the flight taken by the infected Dutch female carried 82 passengers and 6 crew members, and authorities are tracing other passengers on the same flight.
The Saint Helena government stated that over 95% of local residents had no close contact with cruise passengers or crew, nor did they board the ship, so the "risk of infection is extremely low."
Abdi Rahman Mahamud, Director of WHO's Emergency Preparedness and Response Unit, stated that he believes as long as countries implement thorough prevention measures and cooperate, "the scale of this outbreak will be quite limited." Confirmed and suspected cases are currently receiving treatment or isolation in the UK, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, and South Africa.
Hantavirus primarily hosts in rodents such as rats and mice. Humans can be infected by contact with the urine, feces, or saliva of infected animals. Depending on the virus strain, it can cause cardiopulmonary failure or hemorrhagic fever. Currently, there is no vaccine or specific treatment.
It is believed that one passenger was infected before boarding in Argentina and transmitted the virus to others during the cruise's transatlantic voyage. (Compiled by: Chang Ming-hsuan) 1150508
Choose to stand with facts; every sponsorship you provide is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.
(Central News Agency, Geneva, May 7, comprehensive foreign report) The World Health Organization (WHO) today stated that the hantavirus cluster on the cruise ship "MV Hondius" has accumulated 5 confirmed and 3 suspected cases, and the number of cases may rise further, but emphasized that as long as countries implement thorough prevention measures, the scale of the outbreak will be quite limited.
Agence France-Presse reported that an hantavirus cluster erupted on Oceanwide Expeditions' "MV Hondius" cruise ship, with patients testing positive for the "Andes strain," which can be transmitted from person to person, drawing global attention.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Geneva that 5 confirmed and 3 suspected cases have been reported so far, with 3 deaths among them. "Considering that the incubation period for the Andes strain can be up to 6 weeks, more cases may emerge in the future."
Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands later announced an additional positive case.
Oceanwide Expeditions stated that after successively evacuating 4 patients recently, all personnel on board are currently asymptomatic. The MV Hondius is expected to arrive in Tenerife, Spain, on the 10th.
According to Oceanwide Expeditions, an infected Dutch male died on board on April 11th. His wife, who accompanied his body ashore on Saint Helena on April 24th, then took a commercial flight from Saint Helena to Johannesburg, South Africa, while symptomatic. On the same day, 29 other passengers disembarked.
Tedros stated that WHO has notified 12 countries that their citizens disembarked on Saint Helena; South African airline "Airlink" noted that the flight taken by the infected Dutch female carried 82 passengers and 6 crew members, and authorities are tracing other passengers on the same flight.
The Saint Helena government stated that over 95% of local residents had no close contact with cruise passengers or crew, nor did they board the ship, so the "risk of infection is extremely low."
Abdi Rahman Mahamud, Director of WHO's Emergency Preparedness and Response Unit, stated that he believes as long as countries implement thorough prevention measures and cooperate, "the scale of this outbreak will be quite limited." Confirmed and suspected cases are currently receiving treatment or isolation in the UK, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, and South Africa.
Hantavirus primarily hosts in rodents such as rats and mice. Humans can be infected by contact with the urine, feces, or saliva of infected animals. Depending on the virus strain, it can cause cardiopulmonary failure or hemorrhagic fever. Currently, there is no vaccine or specific treatment.
It is believed that one passenger was infected before boarding in Argentina and transmitted the virus to others during the cruise's transatlantic voyage. (Compiled by: Chang Ming-hsuan) 1150508
Choose to stand with facts; every sponsorship you provide is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.