The outbreak of a rare strain of hantavirus aboard a Dutch ship has sent alarm bells ringing globally. While most passengers aboard the MV Hondius were sent to their home countries on Sunday, the toll from the outbreak on the vessel remains three.
The World Health Organisation has (WHO) has recommended a 42-day quarantine for passengers after their last possible exposure. The ship, which departed from Ushuaia in Argentina on April 1, was carrying around 150 passengers and crew representing 28 countries.
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The vessel docked in the Canary Islands in Spain on Sunday, allowing many passengers to disembark for repatriation flights home. This was weeks after the first passenger died on the ship on April 11. As of May 8, eight cases and three deaths were recorded. Six infections were laboratory-confirmed as hantavirus, all identified as the Andes virus strain.
Around 30 crew members, a Dutch nurse, and the body of one passenger remained aboard. The ship is expected to continue to Rotterdam in the Netherlands, where authorities plan to carry out full disinfection procedures.
Key Facts About Hantavirus:
Hantaviruses are a family of viruses carried mainly by rodents that can lead to serious illness in humans. People are typically infected after coming into contact with infected rodents or exposure to their urine, droppings or saliva.
Hantavirus can trigger a range of health conditions, some of which may become severe or even fatal. According to the WHO, the symptoms generally appear between one and eight weeks after exposure, depending on the specific strain involved. Early signs often include fever, headaches, muscle pain, fatigue and gastrointestinal problems such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhoea. In severe cases, patients may develop breathing difficulties and organ complications.
Hantavirus Myths:
Allaying fears over a wider outbreak, the WHO has assured that hantavirus does not spread easily and that the overall risk to global public health remains low. It has also urged people to stay updated about the virus via official communication channels.
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While it is true that hantavirus is spread mainly by rodents, the WHO has clarified that most strains cannot pass between human beings. Unlike Covid-19, only the Andes strain of the hantavirus found among passengers aboard the ship can spread from person to person. One is most likely to get hantavirus after prolonged close contact with the infected person.
The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has also assured that the risk of a pandemic caused by this outbreak “remains extremely low.”
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