Everything to Know About Deadly Hantavirus Cruise Ship Outbreak

What is hantavirus?

Hantavirus is a rare but potentially deadly family of viruses mainly carried by rodents like rats or mice, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS)—a life-threatening, lung and heart disease—or hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), which affects blood vessels and kidneys.

How is hantavirus transmitted?

Hantavirus is transmitted from animals to humans through rodent urine, droppings or saliva, per the CDC. People usually become infected by breathing in tiny virus particles from the infected rodents’ excrements—often in enclosed spaces like cabins, sheds or poorly ventilated buildings. Transmission through bites or scratches is also possible, but rare. 

The Andes virus is the only type of hantavirus that is known to spread person-to-person. This transmission is uncommon and is usually limited to those who have close contact with the infected person.

What are hantavirus symptoms?

Early symptoms include fever, muscle aches, fatigue and nausea, while patients later develop a cough and breathing problems due to fluid build-up in the lungs, according to the CDC. Other symptoms may include intense headaches, fever, chills, blurred vision or nausea.

How did the hantavirus cruise ship outbreak start?

A Dutch couple is believed to have contracted the virus in Ushuaia, Argentina, while visiting a landfill during a bird-watching tour before boarding the cruise ship, two Argentine officials told the Associated Press.

On April 6, five days after the MV Hondius departed from Argentina, a man began showing symptoms of fever, headache and mild diarrhea, according to the WHO. By April 11, the man had developed respiratory problems and died on board.

His body was removed from the ship while it was docked in Saint Helena, an island on the Atlantic Ocean, on April 24. His wife disembarked from the boat with gastrointestinal symptoms on the same day, according to the Associated Press.

The woman’s symptoms “deteriorated” as she flew to Johannesburg April 25, per the WHO. She died on April 26 upon her arrival at a local hospital.

She was 69, while her husband was 70 years old, per The New York Times. 

Who died in the hantavirus cruise ship outbreak?

In addition to the couple, a female passenger with “presentation of pneumonia” died on May 2, per the WHO. Prior to her death, she reported symptoms of fever and a general unwell on April 28.

How many people got sick in the hantavirus cruise ship outbreak?

A May 7 press release from the WHO stated eight reported cases of illness amongst passengers of the MV Hondius, five of which were confirmed as hantavirus.

One man who reported shortness of breath and signs of pneumonia on April 24 has since been transported to a South African hospital, where he remains in critical condition, per the WHO. Lab results confirmed a hantavirus infection.

How many are on board the hantavirus cruise ship?

When it departed from Argentina, the ship was carrying 147 individuals, including 88 passengers and 59 crew members, per the WHO. Those onboard represented 23 nationalities.

The ship was moored off the coast of Cabo Verde on May 4, with doctors and investigators commuting to the cruise by boat.

What is happening on the cruise ship amid the hantavirus outbreak?

Passengers have been advised to social distance, wear masks and sit every other chair in the dining room during meals, according to The New York Times. 

“Our days have been close to normal, just waiting for authorities to find a solution,” passenger Kasem Hato told the outlet. “But morale on the ship is high and we’re keeping ourselves busy with reading, watching movies, having hot drinks and that kind of things.”

Has hantavirus come to the United States?

No cases have been documented in the U.S. as of May 7. Health departments in Virginia, California, Arizona, Texas and Georgia are monitoring residents who were passengers on the ship and have returned stateside. 

“A small number (less than five) of exposed Virginians might be identified in the days ahead,” Virginia Department of Health spokesperson Maria Reppas told USA Today, noting the risk to the general public is believed to be low.  

Meanwhile, contact tracing has begun for those who may have been in contact with the infected passenger who boarded the Johannesburg flight, per the WHO.

How contagious is hantavirus?

It’s “extremely rare” for the virus to spread human-to-human, according to University of California Health. 

“Hantavirus is not spread by people without symptoms, transmission requires close contact, and the risk to the American public is very low,” the acting CDC director Jay Bhattacharya said May 7, per The Hill. “CDC has the world’s leading experts on hantavirus and is lending its technical expertise when coordinating with interagency partners, state health offices, and international authorities on response and repatriation planning.”