LIVE: Dozens of Passengers Disembark Hantavirus-Stricken Cruise Ship in Spain | Hantavirus Ship News
A deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard the Dutch expedition cruise ship MV Hondius has sparked international concern after five confirmed infections and three deaths were reported during the voyage. Among the crew members onboard are two Indian nationals, according to reports. The vessel, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, began its journey from Ushuaia in Argentina and is expected to reach Spain’s Canary Islands soon. The outbreak involves the Andes strain of hantavirus, which is considered particularly concerning because it is the only known hantavirus strain linked to limited human-to-human transmission. Health agencies, including the World Health Organization, are now tracing passengers and crew who may have come into close contact with infected individuals. The ship carried around 150 passengers and crew from 28 countries, including the UK, US, Netherlands, Philippines, Germany and India. WHO officials stressed that the outbreak is not comparable to Covid-19 but confirmed that masks and enhanced protective measures were introduced onboard. Investigators are now conducting genomic testing and contact tracing to understand how the virus spread during the voyage. #Hantavirus #CruiseShip #MVHondius #WHO #IndiaNews #BreakingNews #HealthAlert #VirusOutbreak #WorldNews #CruiseOutbreak #GlobalHealth #AndesVirus #MedicalNews #IndianCrew #HealthCrisis