The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared the hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius over after the final person under quarantine tested negative and returned home. The outbreak, which triggered international concern, resulted in 12 confirmed cases, one probable case, and three deaths. Health authorities say no new infections have been reported since May 25.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the end of the outbreak during a press conference, confirming that the final identified contact had completed quarantine without testing positive for the virus. He said the organization was pleased to declare the outbreak over after weeks of intensive monitoring and international coordination involving health authorities across multiple countries.
The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius began its voyage on April 1 from Ushuaia, Argentina, visiting remote islands in the South Atlantic, including Tristan da Cunha, before sailing to Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands, where the remaining passengers were evacuated. The vessel later docked in Rotterdam on May 18 and was cleared to resume operations on May 30 after undergoing thorough cleaning and disinfection.
According to the WHO, more than 650 contacts were identified and monitored across 33 countries and territories during the response. The organization will continue investigating the outbreak by coordinating a scientific study involving 21 countries to better understand how the disease develops. The findings are expected to support future research into improved diagnostic tools, treatments, and potential vaccines for hantavirus infections.
Hantavirus is a rare disease spread primarily by rodents, and there are currently no approved vaccines or specific antiviral treatments. The outbreak involved the Andes strain of the virus, which is unique because it is the only known hantavirus capable of spreading from one person to another. Although investigators initially believed a passenger contracted the virus in an endemic area of Argentina, later investigations failed to identify infected rodents in a second province that was examined.
While the cruise ship outbreak has officially ended, WHO officials emphasized that hantaviruses remain a public health concern in parts of South America where the disease is endemic. Experts say continued surveillance, public awareness, and research are essential to prepare for future outbreaks. The organization also hopes lessons learned from the incident will strengthen international cooperation on pandemic preparedness and support the implementation of the remaining provisions of the global Pandemic Agreement.
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