The World Health Organisation (WHO) has officially declared the hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius over after the final person under quarantine tested negative and was cleared to return home.
WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced that no new infections have been recorded since May 25, marking the end of the outbreak that resulted in 12 confirmed cases, one probable case and three deaths.
The outbreak began aboard the Dutch-flagged expedition cruise ship, which departed Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1 for a voyage through remote South Atlantic islands before heading to Tenerife, Spain, where passengers were evacuated. The vessel later docked in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on May 18 and resumed operations after undergoing extensive cleaning and disinfection.
Tedros said health authorities monitored more than 650 contacts across 33 countries and territories during the response to the outbreak.
Although the outbreak has ended, the WHO said efforts will continue to better understand the virus and strengthen global preparedness for future outbreaks.
The organisation is coordinating a research project involving 21 countries to study how the disease develops, with the goal of improving diagnostic tools, treatments and the development of vaccines.
Hantavirus is primarily spread by rodents, and there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments. The Andes strain, responsible for the outbreak, is the only known hantavirus capable of spreading from one person to another.
Initial investigations suggested a passenger may have contracted the virus while travelling in parts of Argentina where the disease is known to occur. However, Argentine health authorities later reported that investigations in another province did not detect infected rodents.
WHO’s Head of High Impact Epidemics, Diana Rojas Alvarez, said that while the cruise ship outbreak no longer poses a public health threat, hantaviruses remain a concern in parts of South America and other affected regions.
She stressed the importance of continued surveillance, public awareness and preparedness to reduce the risk of future outbreaks.
The WHO also expressed hope that lessons from the incident would encourage member states to finalise the remaining elements of the global Pandemic Agreement later this month to strengthen international responses to future health emergencies.
