Concerns Rise as Hantavirus Outbreak Affects Cruise Passengers Returning to the U.S.

Hantavirus concerns grew after a recent outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship, causing worry as passengers return to the U.S. The outbreak tragically resulted in three deaths. Human-to-human transmission of hantavirus is rare but not impossible, explained Dr. Marc Siegel, a senior medical analyst.

The passengers were on a voyage that included Tenerife and Praia, leading to heightened public health worries in the United States. Canadian health officials reported that a Canadian returning from the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak tested positive for hantavirus. This marked one of the four Canadians on board, with the Public Health Agency of Canada providing a positive test confirmation.

Test results in British Columbia initially described the case as a “presumptive positive,” and further tests will be done at a national lab to determine more specifics. Reasons for these tests may include confirmation or characterizing the strain.

“Cruise ship outbreaks capture public attention, yet many travelers continue their plans,” experts explained.

Monitoring of the hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius continues. So far, the World Health Organization (WHO) has documented 11 cases linked to this outbreak, including eight confirmed cases, two probable cases, and one inconclusive. These figures include the reported three fatalities. With Canada’s confirmation, 10 positive cases are counted among passengers from the ship.

Four Canadians returned home following the outbreak, with only one testing positive. The confirmed case involved a Yukon couple. The partner tested negative, unlike another returning passenger from Vancouver Island who remains in isolation. A British Columbia resident in their 50s is also isolated. No confirmed U.S. cases have been reported, although a U.S. passenger’s initial test showed inconclusive results.

“The Andes hantavirus is rare, with limited person-to-person transmission,” noted health officials. It accompanied the MV Hondius, known for its ability to transmit through close contact.

In the U.S., Ontario County, New York, investigates a suspected hantavirus case, reportedly unrelated to the cruise outbreak. Officials assure no risk to the public from this isolated case. The outbreak began on April 1 when the Dutch ship left Argentina with 147 individuals aboard.

International precautions are now in place, including a quarantine of staff at Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands. This was done following improper handling of a hantavirus patient’s samples.

Dr. Marc Siegel highlights that hantavirus transmission is challenging, contrasting it with the more easily spread coronavirus. Although hantavirus cases existed in the U.S. for decades, they remain rare. The WHO considers the global threat to be low, despite potential human-to-human transmission on the ship.