WHO Declares Hantavirus Outbreak Over
The World Health Organization announced on Thursday that the hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius is officially over, following the completion of quarantine for the last exposed individual. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed at a press conference that no further cases have been reported since May 25, and the final contact tested negative and has returned home.
The outbreak, which sparked international alarm, resulted in 12 confirmed cases and one probable case, including three deaths. The MV Hondius, a Dutch-flagged polar exploration ship, departed from Ushuaia, Argentina on April 1, traveling to remote islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, including Tristan da Cunha, before heading to Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands, where remaining passengers were evacuated. The ship finally docked in Rotterdam, Netherlands on May 18 and was cleared to sail again on May 30 after thorough cleaning and disinfection.
Extensive Contact Tracing and International Cooperation
Tedros revealed that more than 650 contacts were identified and followed up by health authorities across 33 countries and territories. The WHO is continuing to investigate the outbreak and the virus itself. “We are also coordinating a study involving 21 countries to understand how the disease develops, which will support the development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines for future outbreaks,” he said.
Hantavirus is a rare virus spread by rodents, with no vaccines or specific treatments currently available. The Andes species responsible for this outbreak is the only strain known to be capable of human-to-human transmission. Initially, it was believed that a passenger contracted the virus while traveling in endemic regions of Argentina. However, Argentina's health ministry announced in June that an investigation in a second province failed to find any virus-carrying rodents.
Ongoing Threat and Future Preparedness
Diana Rojas Alvarez, the WHO's high impact epidemics chief, stated that the Hondius outbreak could be declared over as it no longer poses a public health risk. However, she emphasized that “Andes virus and other hantaviruses are still a public health threat for South America and some other endemic areas.” She stressed the need for continued monitoring, preparedness, and community involvement in prevention efforts.
The WHO hopes that this episode will encourage member states to finalize the missing part of the Pandemic Agreement later this month, enabling it to become operational. The outbreak has underscored the importance of global cooperation in responding to emerging infectious diseases.
