A medical worker is transported by ambulance following a suspected hantavirus infection case in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Peter Dejong/Associated Press/Alamy
The World Health Organization (WHO) has concluded that a hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship is unlikely.
During a press conference, WHO scientists aimed to alleviate global concerns about potential pandemics, reassuring the public there is no immediate threat akin to a coronavirus resurgence. The committee emphasized that it would continue addressing all inquiries from journalists and highlighted the significance of staying calm given the situation onboard.
“This is not a novel coronavirus, nor is it influenza,” explained WHO’s Maria van Kerkhove. “This is neither the initiation of an epidemic nor a pandemic.”
Currently, five cases of hantavirus infection have been confirmed, with three additional suspected cases. Unfortunately, three individuals have succumbed to the virus.
Two patients hospitalized in the Netherlands and one in intensive care in South Africa are reportedly recovering, according to the WHO.
Hantaviruses, transmitted through rodents, can lead to severe health complications in humans. Infection usually occurs via contact with contaminated rodent materials such as urine, feces, or saliva.
Tests conducted on two passengers on the ship indicated the presence of the Andes virus, the only known hantavirus capable of being transmitted between humans.
This specific hantavirus can lead to hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS), a severe illness with a mortality rate of up to 50%.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus acknowledged the possibility of additional cases emerging in the coming weeks, given the virus’s six-week incubation period.
Nevertheless, he stated that the public health risk is low, as the virus necessitates close contact for transmission. Effective contact tracing and global cooperation can curtail the spread.
All countries involved in addressing the crisis are fully cooperating, Ghebreyesus noted.
Abdirahman Mahmoud from the WHO reassured attendees, stating, “There is no need for widespread panic.” He emphasized that only those showing symptoms should be isolated, while “active surveillance” is sufficient for potentially exposed individuals.
Mahmoud compared the current situation to the Andes virus outbreak in Argentina that affected 34 individuals and resulted in 11 fatalities between November 2018 and February 2019, which began at a birthday gathering. Although significant, the outbreak did not proliferate extensively in the community.
“The main concern remains the potential for limited human-to-human transmission,” noted Luis Marcos from the Stony Brook School of Medicine in New York in an interview with New Scientist. “However, such transmission appears inefficient and can typically be controlled through standard public health measures.”
“In summary, the risk of widespread infection remains minimal, and the current level of concern may be excessive,” he assessed.
Marcos projected that around 10 to 15 passengers on the cruise could contract the virus, asserting that the current quarantine measures onboard are adequate and “there is no risk of a pandemic.”
Luis Escobar from Virginia Tech emphasized the necessity of taking the hantavirus threat seriously. “We acknowledge that hantaviruses possess the potential for a pandemic, especially those causing respiratory syndromes,” he asserted.
Escobar and his research team published findings in 2025 indicating a broader range of hosts for the virus than previously recognized. They analyzed over 14,000 blood samples for 49 hantavirus species, identifying new rodent species as hosts and noting specific hotspots in Colorado, Virginia, and Texas for the virus.
Despite the current outbreak, Escobar believes public health measures will mitigate the chances of a larger pandemic event.
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Source: www.newscientist.com
