Hantavirus outbreak: 3 patients including ship's doctor evacuated to Netherlands

Three patients with suspected hantavirus from the cruise ship MV Hondius are being evacuated to the Netherlands, as international authorities respond to an outbreak on board, Report informs via Euronews.

The ship's doctor was initially due to be transferred to the Canary Islands but is now being flown home after his condition improved.

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the patients are already on their way. "At this stage, the overall public health risk remains low," he wrote on his X account.

Among those evacuated is the ship's doctor, Spain's health ministry said. The ministry added that the doctor, who had initially been due to be flown to the Canary Islands in serious condition, is now being transported directly to the Netherlands "after his health had improved."

The Hondius, which departed from Argentina, is currently in the waters of Cape Verde, where it diverted after several cases of hantavirus were detected during its Atlantic crossing.

As of May 6, the WHO has identified eight cases of passengers from the vessel, including three deaths, one critically ill patient, and three individuals reporting mild symptoms.

According to the international agency, the first symptoms appeared between April 6 and 28 and were characterised by fever and gastrointestinal disorders, with a rapid progression in some cases to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and shock.

Apart from those with symptoms, the remaining passengers and crew will be examined and treated according to a common protocol developed by the WHO and the ECDC, once the ship arrives in the archipelago in an estimated three to four days.

Hantavirus is a group of viruses carried by rodents and transmitted to humans mainly by inhalation of particles from dried droppings, urine, or saliva. The risk increases when these materials are stirred up and become airborne or by direct contact with infected animals.

Infection can lead to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which starts with symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, dizziness, chills, and gastrointestinal disorders. In later stages, it can progress to severe respiratory distress and hypotension, making severe cases a medical emergency.

The incubation period is usually between two and four weeks after exposure, but can range from one week to eight weeks.

There is no specific treatment and the virus can occur in different variants, with the American variant being the most severe. Human-to-human transmission is very rare and, when it has been described, requires very close and prolonged contact.