The World Health Organization on Friday sought to calm fears surrounding a deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard.
The cruise ship MV Hondius, stressing that the threat to the wider public remains “extremely low” because the virus spreads only through very close contact.
The outbreak on the vessel, currently heading towards Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands, has drawn international attention after three passengers died and several others were infected. According to the WHO, five cases have been confirmed so far, while three additional cases remain under investigation.
WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said the virus, though dangerous for infected individuals, does not spread easily between people.
“This is not another Covid situation, nor is it comparable to highly contagious diseases like measles,” Lindmeier told reporters in Geneva. He explained that casual exposure or simply being near an infected person is unlikely to cause transmission.
Health officials noted that even some passengers who shared cabins with infected individuals did not contract the virus, suggesting limited human-to-human spread. Lindmeier said transmission appears to require direct exposure to bodily fluids such as saliva.
The MV Hondius began its journey from Ushuaia on April 1, travelling across the Atlantic toward Cape Verde while stopping at several remote islands along the route.
Passengers suspected or confirmed to have the infection are currently receiving treatment or isolating in countries including United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland and South Africa.
The WHO also highlighted several developments that suggest the virus is not spreading easily. A Dutch flight attendant who reportedly interacted closely with an infected passenger later tested negative. The infected passenger, the wife of the first victim from the cruise outbreak, had boarded a KLM
flight from Johannesburg to the Netherlands on April 25 but was removed before departure after falling ill. She later died in a Johannesburg hospital and tested positive for hantavirus.
Another example cited by the WHO involved a Swiss man hospitalised in Zurich after contracting the virus, while his wife, who travelled with him on the cruise, remained symptom-free in self-isolation.
Officials also attempted to reassure communities on islands visited by the ship, including Saint Helena, where several passengers disembarked. Lindmeier said the likelihood of broader community transmission in such locations remains “absolutely minimal.”
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