Key Points:
- The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed a 12th case of the rare Andes hantavirus, linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship.
- The latest patient, a repatriated crew member in home quarantine in the Netherlands, has been admitted to the hospital as a precaution.
- More than 600 potential contacts across 30 different countries are currently being monitored under a strict 42-day quarantine.
- The death toll remains at three, with no new deaths reported since the outbreak was first notified on May 2.
The World Health Organization confirmed a 12th case of the rare Andes hantavirus on Friday. The latest positive test involves a crew member from the Dutch-flagged cruise ship, MV Hondius. This individual had been in home quarantine in the Netherlands before developing symptoms.
The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) confirmed that the crew member was admitted to a local hospital as a precaution. Doctors immediately isolated the patient to prevent any potential spread of the highly lethal pathogen. RIVM officials noted that the crew member had close contact with infected passengers while working on the ship.
The outbreak began on the MV Hondius, a Dutch wildlife expedition ship that set sail on April 1 from Ushuaia, Argentina. The ship carried 149 people from 23 different countries. The vessel docked in Rotterdam this week, where the remaining 27 people on board all tested negative for the virus, showing that sanitization efforts on the ship had succeeded.
The death toll associated with the outbreak remains at three. These deaths occurred before May 2, the date when the United Kingdom first notified the WHO about a cluster of severe respiratory illness on the ship. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed that authorities have reported no new deaths since the initial notification.
Public health officials are highly concerned because scientists identified the pathogen as the Andes hantavirus. While most hantaviruses only spread through contact with infected rodent droppings or urine, the Andes strain is the only type of hantavirus known to jump directly from human to human. Transmission typically requires close, prolonged contact, making the close quarters of a cruise ship a high-risk environment.
Tedros stated that public health authorities are currently monitoring more than 600 potential contacts across 30 different countries. He urged all affected nations to closely monitor all passengers and crew for the remainder of their mandatory quarantine period. International tracing teams are still trying to locate a small number of high-risk contacts who may have come into close contact with symptomatic passengers.
The long incubation period of the Andes virus, which can last up to six weeks, means that further cases are still possible in the coming days. The 122 passengers and crew members who were repatriated from countries earlier this month must remain in strict isolation until their 42-day quarantine periods expire.
Tedros thanked the countries that cooperated to contain the crisis, including Argentina, Cabo Verde, Chile, South Africa, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Public health bodies such as the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) continue to provide guidance and coordinate safe repatriations.
Despite the new case, Dutch health officials have urged the public to remain calm. The RIVM emphasized that the risk of further spread in the Netherlands remains very small. The virus does not easily transmit unless people are in close contact over a long period, typically within a household setting.
While the total count of confirmed and suspected cases has risen to 12, the outbreak appears to be under control. The rapid and coordinated international response has successfully isolated the threat, preventing a wider global health crisis from unfolding.
