Andes Virus Found in Cruise Cases

The World Health Organization has reported that eight individuals affected by a hantavirus outbreak on board the cruise ship MV Hondius have tested positive for Andes virus, a strain of hantavirus known to be capable of human-to-human transmission.

In its latest update issued on Wednesday (13 May), the agency stated that laboratory confirmation of Andes virus infection had been established in eight cases. It also noted that two additional cases remain classified as probable, while one case has not yet been conclusively determined. Further testing is ongoing for that individual.

According to information relayed by AFP from Geneva, the outbreak has been associated with the cruise voyage that commenced on 1 April from Argentina, crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Since the onset of the incident, three deaths have been recorded among passengers on board. The WHO confirmed that two of the deceased had laboratory-confirmed Andes virus infection, while the third individual has been listed as a probable case.

All individuals affected by the outbreak were passengers on the same cruise vessel. Among the cases under investigation is a United States national whose test results have been inconclusive, with one test returning positive and another negative. Additional laboratory analyses are currently being conducted to determine the final diagnosis. The individual has been repatriated to the United States and is reported to be asymptomatic at present.

The WHO further stated that the origin of the outbreak has not yet been identified. However, it assessed that the initial transmission likely occurred before the commencement of the cruise journey. This assessment is based on the timeline of symptom onset in the first confirmed case, a 70-year-old Dutch national, who began showing symptoms on 6 April. This falls within the known incubation period for hantavirus infection, which ranges from one to six weeks.

Hantaviruses are typically transmitted through exposure to infected rodents, primarily via contact with their urine, faeces, or saliva. There is currently no specific vaccine or targeted treatment available for hantavirus infections, according to the WHO.

Summary of reported cases

The investigation into the outbreak continues, with further diagnostic work underway to determine the full extent and origin of transmission among passengers aboard the vessel.