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The CDC has ended its response to a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship, three months after the virus killed three people. No cases were reported in the United States, and all exposed individuals have completed monitoring. The outbreak was linked to the rare Andes virus, which typically circulates in Argentina and Chile.
WHO confirms the 12th hantavirus case on the MV Hondius cruise ship, involving a Dutch crew member now hospitalized. The agency calls for continued monitoring of passengers across 30 countries as the outbreak, linked to rodent exposure, has caused three deaths.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that cuts in global health aid, especially from major donors like the U.S., are undermining epidemic response systems and raising the risk of Ebola, hantavirus, and cholera outbreaks. The organization calls for sustained international funding to protect global health security.
Experts warn the world is becoming less resilient to infectious disease outbreaks, citing climate crises, conflict, and geopolitical fragmentation. The GPMB report highlights that pandemic risk now far exceeds investment in preparedness.
The MV Hondius, carrying 25 crew members and two medical staff, docked in Rotterdam on Monday (May 18) after three passengers died from hantavirus. The entire crew will be immediately quarantined as authorities set up isolation containers.
One of four Canadians quarantined in British Columbia after exposure to hantavirus aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship has tested preliminary positive. The patient is stable, isolated in hospital and under monitoring. Confirmatory testing is pending from a national lab.
The WHO has confirmed 10 global hantavirus cases, adjusting the count down from 11 after one individual tested negative. All crew of the MV Hondius remain asymptomatic, but officials warn of possible further cases due to the long incubation period.
Hantavirus is a deadly virus transmitted from rodents to humans, causing Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) or Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS), with a high fatality rate. It is not spread from person to person, primarily infecting through respiratory exposure to infected rodent droppings, urine, or saliva. No specific vaccine exists, and treatment is supportive only.
Hantavirus can cause severe syndromes with high mortality rates, but the risk to the general community is considered low with proper hygiene measures. Experts emphasize the virus spreads from rodents to humans, not easily from person to person. Prevention includes rodent control and sanitation, especially in rural areas.
