New hantavirus case confirmed among crew of MV Hondius cruise ship: WHO

THE HAGUE – A member of the MV Hondius cruise ship crew who disembarked in Spain’s Canary Islands and was repatriated to the Netherlands was confirmed on May 22 as a new hantavirus case, the WHO said.

“Today, the Netherlands confirmed an additional case among a crew member who disembarked in Tenerife, was repatriated to the Netherlands and has been isolating since then,” World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on May 22.

He said this meant there were now 12 suspected and confirmed cases in total, including three deaths.

Dr Tedros reiterated that no deaths had been reported since May 2, when the outbreak was first reported to the WHO.

“We continue to urge affected countries to monitor all passengers and crew carefully for the remainder of the quarantine period,” he told a press conference.

“More than 600 contacts continue to be followed in 30 countries, and a small number of high-risk contacts are still being located.”

Meanwhile, the Dutch authorities said the crew member had been taken to hospital.

“The Andes virus has been detected in one person who was in quarantine in the Netherlands. The patient has since been admitted to the hospital as a precaution and is in isolation,” said the RIVM (Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment).

The Andes species is the only strain of hantavirus known to be able to jump from human to human.

Everyone evacuated from the Dutch-flagged ship to the Netherlands is tested every week.

The positive test was confirmed by two separate laboratories, the RIVM said.

The person who tested positive had been in home quarantine, according to the authorities, who urged calm.

“The RIVM understands that this news may raise questions or concerns. However, the chance of further spread in the Netherlands remains very small,” the statement said.

The ship set off April 1 from Ushuaia, Argentina, taking in remote islands in the South Atlantic Ocean before heading north to Cape Verde, then Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands.

The ship docked in Rotterdam harbour in the Netherlands on May 18, with the skeleton crew facing weeks of quarantine.

Spread by rodents, hantavirus is a rare virus for which no vaccines or specific treatments exist. AFP