Hantavirus: Case count reaches 13 as another MV Hondius passenger tests positive in Spain; situation stable, says WHO

World Health Organizationzation (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday (local time) that the total number of hantavirus cases linked to a Dutch-flagged cruise ship at the center of the outbreak had risen to 13.

In a post on X, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “Spain has reported a new case among travelers who are in quarantine, bringing the total number of cases to 13.”

He added: “No new deaths have been reported since May 2. The total number of deaths remains three out of 13 cases reported so far.”

“The situation remains stable. Passengers who have fallen ill are receiving the necessary care, while others remain in quarantine,” said the head of the WHO.

Hantavirus outbreak

Hantavirus is usually transmitted through exposure to rodents or contact with their urine, saliva, or feces. However, the WHO noted that the rare Andean strain can occasionally spread between people. A CBS News report said the WHO suspects human-to-human transmission may have occurred aboard the affected ship, which was on an extended polar expedition from Argentina to Antarctica and remote South Atlantic islands. In humans, the virus can have a fatality rate of up to 50 percent.

Read also | Hantavirus in the US? North vs. South America – study identifies 3 emerging ‘hotspots’.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the death rate varies depending on which hantavirus causes the illness. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is fatal in about 35 percent of infected people, while the fatality rate for hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome ranges from 1 to 15 percent in patients.

The head of the WHO urges the people of Tenerife to remain calm

The development comes weeks after all remaining passengers, crew and medical staff disembarked from the MV Hondius luxury liner at the center of the outbreak.

Earlier this month, the WHO chief urged Tenerife residents to remain calm as a cruise ship carrying passengers exposed to the virus was due to disembark.

Read also | Hantavirus outbreak: WHO urges calm as cruise ship approaches Tenerife

In a lengthy post on X, he wrote: “I know you’re worried. I know when you hear the word ‘outbreak’ or ‘epidemic’ and see a ship approaching your shores, it brings back memories that none of us have quite gotten over. The pain of 2020 is still real and I won’t minimize it for a moment.”

Tedros has consistently stated that the hantavirus outbreak is not another COVID-19 and that the public health risk from the virus remains low. The WHO chief addressed the concerns of Tenerife residents after Tenerife dock workers gathered outside the Canary Islands’ parliament building in the town of Santa Cruz to express concerns that the early arrival could pose a health risk to them.

A Spanish citizen evacuated from a cruise ship tested positive

Earlier on Monday, Spain’s health ministry said a Spanish national in quarantine at a Madrid military hospital who is among those evacuated from the cruise ship earlier this month has tested positive for hantavirus, the second positive case among 14 Spanish nationals who were evacuated from the MV Hondius in Tenerife.

Read also | Hantavirus explained: How it spreads, key symptoms and pandemic risk

MV Hondius will undergo additional cleaning

The AP reported Tuesday that the cruise ship at the center of the outbreak is undergoing further cleaning before returning to its home port, the company that operates it said.

Oceanwide Expeditions said in a written statement that the additional work is being carried out on the recommendation of the local health authority GGD in the port city of Rotterdam, where the vessel returned earlier last week. Her home port is in nearby Vlissingen in the south of the Netherlands.

“Based on its inspection findings, GGD has recommended further cleaning,” the cruise line said. “Once this work is complete, GGD will carry out a final inspection before the vessel can depart Rotterdam.”

Earlier, Oceanwide Expeditions said it did not anticipate any disruption to the MV Hondius’ schedule, including its scheduled Arctic voyage departing from Keflavík, Iceland on May 29. However, the company recently clarified that all voyages scheduled from June 13 will continue as scheduled, adding that no further disruptions to Hondius’ sailing schedule are expected.