Video: WHO declares hantavirus outbreak that started on Dutch cruise ship over
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the hantavirus outbreak that started on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius officially over. Two patients are still receiving medical treatment, one in South Africa and one in France.
The announcement follows a period with no new infections. According to NRC, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the last contact of an infected person tested negative on Thursday. He said the WHO now expects no further transmission and no longer considers the outbreak a public health risk.
Tedros also said the WHO will continue working with governments and partners. The goal is to better understand the cause of this outbreak and hantavirus in general.
The outbreak began in April aboard the MV Hondius, a Dutch-flagged cruise ship with about 150 passengers. The ship was on a 46-day voyage from Argentina to Cape Verde, with stops including the Falkland Islands. Multiple passengers became ill while the vessel was off Tenerife in the Canary Islands.
Three people died in the outbreak, including two Dutch nationals. A 69-year-old Dutch man died on April 11 while still aboard the ship. His wife later died in a hospital in Johannesburg. A 65-year-old woman from Germany also died on May 2 while on board the vessel.
At least 13 people were infected in total, according to the WHO. Dutch reporting states that nine, and possibly 10, additional people were infected. Eight of the infected individuals have recovered.
The virus involved was the Andes variant of hantavirus. It is one of the few hantavirus strains that can be transmitted between humans. However, the exact mode of transmission is not known. The virus can cause severe lung and heart complications in some cases.
