WHO: Hantavirus on Cruise Ship Is “Not the Next COVID” as More Cases Possible

The World Health Organization said the public health risk linked to the hantavirus outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius remains low, even as officials warned that additional infections could still emerge because the incubation period may last up to six weeks. Health authorities across several countries continue monitoring passengers and contacts connected to the vessel, while WHO officials stressed that the situation is fundamentally different from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed that five hantavirus cases linked to the ship have been verified, while eight infections in total have been reported, including suspected cases. Three people have died since the Dutch-flagged vessel departed Argentina last month: a Dutch couple and a German national. Tedros described the incident as serious but emphasized that “the overall public health risk remains low.” He added that WHO’s priorities are ensuring treatment for patients, protecting the remaining passengers onboard, and preventing further spread of the virus.

WHO infectious disease expert Maria Van Kerkhove firmly rejected comparisons with the coronavirus pandemic. “This is not SARS-CoV-2. This is not the start of a COVID pandemic,” she said during a briefing, adding that hantavirus spreads very differently and is associated with “close, intimate contact.” WHO officials noted that the outbreak is unusual because transmission appears connected to a cruise ship environment, something not previously documented with this virus strain.

The MV Hondius, which had been stranded off Cape Verde, is now sailing toward Spain’s Canary Islands. According to the cruise operator, no symptomatic passengers remain onboard. Spain has agreed to receive the ship, with regional authorities in the Canary Islands expected to oversee the next phase of the response. Tedros thanked Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez for accepting the vessel and said WHO has confidence in Spain’s ability to manage the situation.

European officials also sought to calm fears. European Commission representatives said the risk to the public in Europe remains low, while meetings involving EU health authorities and WHO experts have been held to coordinate the response. US President Donald Trump also commented on the outbreak, saying he had been briefed and expressing hope that the virus was “under control.”

Investigators are still working to determine how the infections spread. WHO officials said the first infected passengers likely contracted the virus before boarding the cruise ship. Tedros explained that the Dutch couple who later died had traveled through Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay on a bird-watching trip that included areas inhabited by rodents known to carry the Andes strain of hantavirus.

Chilean authorities later stated that the couple could not have contracted the virus in Chile because the timing of their stay did not match the incubation period. Officials there pointed out that human-to-human transmission of the Andes strain is extremely rare, with the country’s last documented case occurring in 2019.

Meanwhile, health agencies in multiple countries are monitoring people who may have been exposed. Dutch authorities said three people who had contact with an infected passenger during a flight from Johannesburg to Amsterdam developed symptoms. Two later tested negative, while the third result remains pending. Public health officials are also monitoring passengers seated near the infected traveler and maintaining daily contact with those considered at higher risk.

In South Africa, four people connected to the outbreak are under observation after traveling on a flight from St. Helena to Johannesburg. One individual reportedly developed symptoms and underwent testing, with authorities awaiting confirmation of the results. Officials urged the public not to spread misinformation or panic about the virus.

Two Dutch university hospitals separately confirmed positive hantavirus cases among patients evacuated from the ship. The hospitals said isolation protocols had been implemented and specialized infectious disease teams were handling treatment.

The outbreak has also raised questions about passengers who disembarked earlier in the voyage. Dutch officials confirmed that around 40 people left the ship after the first passenger died onboard during a stop on the remote island of St. Helena. Among them was the wife of the deceased Dutch passenger, who later collapsed after flying to South Africa and subsequently died in hospital.

Spanish authorities said the 14 Spanish citizens onboard will be transferred to Madrid after arriving in Tenerife and placed under quarantine for up to 45 days at a specialized isolation facility originally established after the Ebola outbreak and later used during COVID-19 evacuations.

Hantaviruses are primarily spread through exposure to rodents or contaminated particles from rodent droppings. According to health authorities, the viruses can cause severe respiratory illness or kidney-related disease. While person-to-person transmission is considered rare, especially outside the Andes strain, WHO officials said investigations into the exact chain of transmission aboard the ship are continuing.