WHO confirms fatal hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship

At least three people on board a cruise ship died from a rare rodent virus, according to a Monday statement from the World Health Organization, or WHO. The MV Hondius, a Dutch cruise ship carrying nearly 150 people from across 23 countries, is now floating off the coast of West Africa after officials identified at least four other suspected cases.

Lab results confirmed that at least two passengers contracted the hantavirus, a rare virus spread to humans through contact with urine, feces, or saliva from infected rodents. The WHO characterized the virus as a severe disease and noted rare reports of limited human-to-human transmission of a specific species of hantavirus, known as the Andes virus.

How is the virus spreading? Officials are still trying to determine how the virus is being spread. The MV Hondius shoved off from a resort town in southern Argentina on April 1 to sail across the South Atlantic. The vessel stopped in several remote and ecologically diverse areas during the voyage, including mainland Antarctica, South Georgia, Nightingale Island, Tristan da Cunha, Saint Helena, and Ascension Island, according to the WHO. The extent of passengers’ contact with local wildlife during the cruise was still being ascertained, the WHO added.

The first passenger who died from the virus first developed symptoms of fever, headache, and mild gastrointestinal distress about a week into the cruise. That passenger, a man, had been in close contact with a woman who developed symptoms nearly three weeks into the cruise and died just days later, WHO said. Officials noted that the pair had traveled in South America together before boarding the vessel. Another woman died on Saturday after developing pneumonia-like symptoms earlier that week.

How are the patients who are still alive? One of the four surviving patients is in critical condition, after first reporting shortness of breath and other pneumonia signs on April 24. The man was medically evacuated to South Africa early last week and is now in the ICU, the WHO said. An extensive respiratory pathogen panel came back negative, while additional lab tests confirmed the hantavirus infection. The other three people suspected of contracting the virus remained aboard the ship Monday, reporting high fevers and GI distress.

Could this turn into another COVID? WHO officials characterized the outbreak as a low risk to the global population, but planned to continue monitoring the situation and to possibly update the risk assessment if necessary.

The hantavirus made headlines last year after it was found that Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, died from the virus. Autopsy results confirmed that the concert pianist died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, but Hackman’s body tested negative for the virus. The 95-year-old actor suffered severe Alzheimer's and likely had not eaten for some time after the death of his wife, who is believed to have died about a week before Hackman.