LONDON, May 8: At least two Indian nationals are among the crew of the Dutch cruise vessel MV Hondius, which has reported a hantavirus outbreak that has so far led to five confirmed cases and three deaths, according to the BBC.
The luxury expedition ship, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, departed Ushuaia in Argentina on April 1 and is scheduled to reach Spain’s Canary Islands on May 10.
Around 150 passengers and crew from 28 countries were initially onboard, though several disembarked at St Helena on April 24, the report said.
Among those onboard are 38 Filipinos, 31 Britons, 23 Americans, 16 Dutch nationals, 14 Spaniards, nine Germans, six Canadians, and two Indians, among others.
The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed on Thursday that five of eight suspected cases have tested positive for hantavirus. A 69-year-old Dutch woman has died, along with her Dutch husband and a German woman, with investigations ongoing.
The WHO has clarified that the outbreak is not considered the start of a pandemic. Infectious disease expert Maria van Kerkhove said the virus spreads through “close, intimate contact” and is different from COVID-19 and influenza.
Health authorities have advised mask use onboard, especially for those caring for or in contact with suspected cases, along with higher levels of protective equipment.
While hantavirus typically spreads from rodents, this outbreak has reportedly shown possible human-to-human transmission, the WHO said.
Meanwhile, efforts are underway to trace passengers who disembarked at St Helena. Oceanwide Expeditions said 29 passengers of at least 12 nationalities left the ship there, and the body of one deceased Dutch passenger was also taken off the vessel. Seven of those who disembarked were British nationals.
