GUWAHATI: Medical evacuation teams in full protective gear transferred suspected hantavirus patients from the expedition cruise ship MV Hondius this week, as international authorities intensified efforts to contain a rare outbreak linked to the Andes strain of the virus.
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Visuals circulating online showed health workers in respirators, gowns, and face shields escorting stretcher-bound patients into specialised air ambulances near Amsterdam and Cape Verde.
The Dutch-flagged vessel, carrying around 150 passengers and crew, has become the centre of an international health alert after three passengers died and several others fell ill.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the outbreak likely involves the Andes strain of hantavirus, the only known variant that can occasionally spread between humans through close contact. On May 2, a cluster of severe respiratory illness cases onboard was reported to the WHO, including two confirmed and five suspected hantavirus infections. Among them were three fatalities, one critically ill patient, and others with mild symptoms.
Notably, no rodents were found onboard the ship, which has raised concerns about rare human-to-human transmission. The WHO suggested that some infected individuals may have contracted the virus before boarding, possibly during outdoor activities such as birdwatching, with further transmission occurring onboard.
As the vessel continues its journey toward Spain’s Canary Islands under strict monitoring, authorities across Europe, South Africa, and Argentina have launched contact tracing, quarantine protocols, and laboratory testing to prevent further spread.
Hantaviruses, as defined by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are a group of viruses primarily transmitted through rodents and can cause serious illnesses such as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). Humans are typically infected through exposure to rodent urine, droppings, or saliva, though transmission via bites is rare.
The Andes strain, commonly found in Argentina and Chile, is carried by wild rodents such as the long-tailed pygmy rice rat (Oligoryzomys longicaudatus). Infection usually occurs through inhalation of airborne viral particles.
