Global health agency deploys experts and testing kits after rare Andes virus cases emerge aboard MV Hondius
By Bunmi Yekini
The World Health Organization says it is closely monitoring a cluster of hantavirus infections linked to the cruise ship, MV Hondius, after eight people fell ill and three died in what health officials describe as a serious but low-risk public health incident.
Speaking during a media briefing, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said five of the eight reported cases have been confirmed as hantavirus infections caused by the Andes virus, a rare strain capable of limited human-to-human transmission through close and prolonged contact.
“While this is a serious incident, WHO assesses the public health risk as low,” Tedros said, while warning that more cases could still emerge because of the virus’ incubation period.
For passengers and crew aboard the ship, the outbreak has transformed what began as a voyage into a tense medical emergency marked by isolation, uncertainty and fear.
Health experts say hantaviruses are typically spread through contact with infected rodents, but the Andes virus is unusual because it can also pass between humans under certain conditions.
The WHO chief said the organization is now coordinating with several countries under the International Health Regulation, global rules guiding international responses to public health threats.
“This event demonstrates why the International Health Regulations exist,” Tedros said. “It demonstrates the importance of global cooperation and solidarity in responding to health threats that know no borders.”
WHO says its immediate priorities are ensuring treatment for infected patients, protecting remaining passengers and crew, and preventing further transmission of the virus.
Since being notified of the outbreak on May 2, the organization has deployed a medical expert aboard the ship to conduct comprehensive health assessments and evaluate the risk to passengers and staff.
WHO has also arranged the shipment of 2,500 diagnostic kits from Argentina to laboratories across five countries to strengthen testing capacity and speed up identification of possible infections.
In addition, the agency is preparing operational guidance to ensure the “safe and respectful” disembarkation and onward travel of passengers and crew once the ship arrives at port.
The incident has renewed global attention on infectious disease surveillance aboard international cruise vessels, where close living conditions can accelerate the spread of illnesses.
For now, health authorities insist the overall public risk remains low, but they are racing against time to prevent the outbreak from growing beyond the ship’s confines.