A hantavirus outbreak aboard the expedition cruise ship MV Hondius has prompted a closer look at how the virus spread among passengers. According to the New York Post, health officials are weighing possible sources as the vessel prepares to head towards Spain. Three people have so far died in the outbreak.
Health officials believe the virus may have been transmitted during a bird-watching trip in southern Argentina, where passengers could have come into contact with waste from infected rodents. At the same time, a rare version of the virus — which in some cases can spread between people — has made the situation more worrying.
A Dutch couple who later died after boarding the MV Hondius likely got infected by the virus during a stop in Ushuaia in mid-March. Investigators suspect exposure to rodents at a landfill site visited during a bird-watching tour may have led to infection, reported Associated Press. Hantavirus is typically transmitted by inhaling particles from infected rodent urine or droppings.
However, the theory is not without gaps. Officials have flagged that Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego province has not previously recorded hantavirus cases, which raises questions whether the exposure occurred there or elsewhere. The couple boarded the MV Hondius on March 20 for a 35-day expedition. The 70-year-old man fell ill in early April and died days later. His wife later became sick and died after being flown to South Africa.
WAS HUMAN-TO-HUMAN CONTACT THE MISSING LINK?
A separate line of investigation has focused on the Andean strain of hantavirus, which — unlike most forms — can, in rare cases, spread between humans through very close contact. According to Reuters, South African authorities confirmed that the strain identified among the victims has this rare capability. However, such transmission requires prolonged and close exposure.
“This is the only strain that is known to cause human-to-human transmission, but such transmission is very rare,” officials said. The chance that the virus may have spread between passengers has raised concern, especially after people on board fell ill following the first cases.
SHIP SET TO DOCK IN SPAIN
The MV Hondius, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, has been stranded off Cape Verde after authorities denied passengers permission to disembark due to the outbreak. Spain’s health minister said the ship is now expected to dock in Tenerife within days. Passengers on board who show no symptoms will be allowed to return to their home countries, while Spanish nationals will be placed in quarantine at a military hospital in Madrid.
Passengers still on board the vessel have been advised to limit contact and follow hygiene protocols, including mask use and regular sanitisation. One passenger told Reuters: “People are taking the situation seriously but without any panic, trying to keep social distancing and wearing masks to be safe.”
“Our days have been close to normal, just waiting for authorities to find a solution, but morale on the ship is high and we’re keeping ourselves busy with reading, watching movies, having hot drinks, and that kind of things.”
Despite the deaths of three passengers and several suspected infections, health authorities continue to emphasise that the risk remains low. WHO officials have repeatedly stated that hantavirus spreads very differently from airborne diseases such as COVID-19. Transmission typically requires direct exposure to infected rodents or very close contact with an infected person.
“So when we say close contact, we mean very close physical contact,” a WHO official told Reuters, noting that it is “very, very different to COVID and very different to influenza”.
With inputs from agencies
