The risk of a wider hantavirus outbreak is ‘very low’, the UN health agency stressed

“This is not COVID,” a WHO the spokesperson told reporters at a briefing in Geneva, as the agency continues to coordinate the response to the deadly outbreak on a cruise ship moored in Cabo Verde.

To date, three people have died and several others have fallen ill on the Dutch-flagged ship Hondius, triggering a major international public health response involving countries in Europe, Africa and Latin America.

“Let’s not forget a close couple… from the flight attendant who attended to the sick woman who died shortly thereafter and was feeling very unwell, we had a negative test result. This should convince almost everyone by now that this is a dangerous virus, but only to people who are actually infected. And the risk to the general public remains very low,” said WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier.

Eight cases of infection have been reported so far, including five laboratory-confirmed infections and three cases suspected to be linked to a rare strain of Andean hantavirus, according to WHO.

There is no comparison with COVID

“I need to emphasize again and again, even those who share cabins do not appear to be infected in some cases…it doesn’t spread anything similar to the way COVID spreads,” Mr. Lindmeier said.

Apart from the Hantius cruise ship where this outbreak was first reported, contact tracing of potentially infected people is also continuing.

“It’s following up with everyone. It’s looking at seat lists on planes, ships, maybe even more tracing of someone, seeing where they’ve been or maybe been in close contact,” Lindmeier said.

According to WHO, transmission generally requires close and prolonged contact, especially between household members, intimate partners, or health workers.

However, the wife whose husband was infected and hospitalized in Switzerland “has not shown any symptoms and is self-isolating… So, again, fortunately, the virus is not very contagious,” Lindmeier said.

The first known patient experienced symptoms on April 6 and later died on board the ship. His wife also fell ill and died after being evacuated to South Africa, where laboratory test results confirmed a hantavirus infection.

Rodent risk

Before boarding the plane, the pair had traveled through Argentina, Chile and Uruguay on a bird-watching trip, including visits to locations where rodent species known to carry the virus reside.

Another passenger died on May 2 and one person remains in intensive care in South Africa, with WHO saying his condition is improving. Another patient has been transferred to a hospital in the Netherlands for treatment.

WHO said none of the passengers or crew remaining on board were showing symptoms.

Hantavirus is a zoonotic virus carried by rodents and usually transmitted to humans through contact with infected animals or through their urine, saliva, or feces (check WHO Hantavirus fact sheet here).

The Andean strain, found in parts of Latin America, is the only hantavirus known to be capable of limited human-to-human transmission.

The outbreak has triggered action under the International Health Regulations, a global framework designed to coordinate responses to cross-border health threats.

WHO said it was working with authorities in Cabo Verde, Spain, the Netherlands, South Africa, the UK and Argentina, as well as the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.