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Hantavirus scare on cruise ship: A hantavirus outbreak aboard the Dutch-flagged cruise vessel MV Hondius has triggered global attention after three passengers died and multiple infections were reported during its voyage across the Atlantic Ocean.

The ship, carrying around 150 tourists from different countries, saw its first confirmed case on May 2, when a passenger who had disembarked earlier tested positive. The deaths, however, occurred over several weeks, raising concern among health authorities.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has stepped in to calm fears, stating that the risk of widespread transmission is low. Officials clarified that hantavirus does not spread easily between humans, unlike Covid-19.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that although the situation is being closely monitored, it does not signal the beginning of a pandemic. However, due to the incubation period of the Andes virus,  which can extend up to six weeks, more cases cannot be ruled out.

The first fatality was reported on April 6, involving a 70-year-old Dutch man who fell ill shortly after the ship departed from Ushuaia, Argentina. He experienced fever, headache and mild diarrhoea.

His body was later taken off the vessel at Saint Helena on April 24. His wife, who had travelled with him, died on April 26 in South Africa after collapsing at an airport while attempting to return home.

The third victim, a German woman, died onboard nearly a month after the initial case surfaced.

Health authorities in Argentina have stated that the exact origin of the infection remains unclear. Investigations involving multiple countries and agencies have so far failed to pinpoint where the virus was first contracted.

The infected couple had reportedly travelled through parts of Argentina and Chile before boarding the cruise.

These nations have reported confirmed cases, deaths or direct exposure linked to the cruise ship:

Argentina: Boarding point of passengers in Ushuaia

Saint Helena: Key stop where passengers disembarked; contact tracing underway

South Africa: Hospitalisation and death of infected passenger

Cape Verde: Part of the ship’s route

Netherlands: Nationality of two deceased passengers and ship operator

United Kingdom: Linked via Saint Helena; one confirmed case

Countries indirectly affected (Alert issued by WHO)

WHO has notified these countries as their citizens were among those who disembarked at Saint Helena:

Canada

Denmark

Germany

New Zealand

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Singapore

Sweden

Switzerland

Turkey

United States

So far, five confirmed cases and three suspected infections have been reported globally, including three deaths.

Unlike Covid-19, hantavirus is primarily transmitted through contact with infected rodents or their droppings. Human-to-human transmission is rare and largely associated with specific strains like the Andes virus.

This significantly reduces the likelihood of a widespread outbreak, experts say.