Hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship sparks concern as passengers return to US
Fox News’s senior medical analyst, Dr. Marc Siegel, has shared insights into the recent Hantavirus outbreak that occurred on the MV Hondius cruise ship, tragically resulting in three fatalities. Although the transmission of this virus from one person to another is uncommon, Dr. Siegel notes that it cannot be entirely ruled out. With passengers now returning to the United States from destinations like Tenerife and Praia, there is heightened concern about public health and the importance of effective containment strategies.
In a recent development, Canadian health authorities confirmed that one out of four Canadians who recently returned from the MV Hondius cruise ship tested positive for the Andes hantavirus, which has sparked international attention. This confirmation follows the unfortunate deaths of three individuals linked to the outbreak.
The Public Health Agency of Canada made the announcement after British Columbia’s leading public health official had initially referred to the case as a “presumptive positive.” The agency stated, “One individual’s sample was confirmed positive for hantavirus.”
Further testing will be conducted at a national laboratory, although it remains unclear whether these efforts will focus on confirming the initial results, identifying the strain, or serving another purpose.
Experts point out that outbreaks on cruise ships often garner significant attention due to mandatory public reporting regulations. However, despite these concerns, many travelers continue to plan their cruises as scheduled, undeterred by the potential risks.
Experts say cruise outbreaks get more attention due to public reporting rules, but many travelers still plan to sail as booked. (Myloupe/Universal Images Group)
The development comes as global health officials continue monitoring the rare hantavirus outbreak tied to the MV Hondius, which has sickened multiple passengers.
As of May 13, the World Health Organization said 11 cases had been identified in connection with the cruise outbreak, including eight confirmed cases, two probable cases and one inconclusive case. Those figures included three deaths. The Associated Press later reported that the Canadian confirmation brought the number of people from the ship who had tested positive to 10.
Canadian health officials said four Canadians returned home from the MV Hondius, though only one has tested positive for the virus.
The rare Andes virus, which was linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak, is the only known hantavirus strain that has the capability to spread from person to person, usually through prolonged close contact. (Andres Gutierrez/Anadolu)
The confirmed patient and a traveling companion — identified as a Yukon couple in their 70s — returned from the cruise together. The companion later tested negative, officials said.
A third person in their 70s from Vancouver Island remains in isolation, along with a British Columbia resident in their 50s.
So far, no confirmed U.S. cases tied to the cruise ship have been reported, though WHO said as of May 13 that one U.S.-repatriated passenger had inconclusive laboratory results and was undergoing retesting.
Pictured is the MV Hondius, the cruise ship tied to a hantavirus outbreak after a stop in Argentina that left three passengers dead. (Europa Press Canarias via Getty Images)
Last week, however, health officials in Ontario County, New York, announced they were investigating a suspected locally acquired hantavirus case unrelated to the cruise ship.
The Ontario County Public Health Department said there was no risk to the general public. Officials also said the strain typically seen in the United States is not known to spread from person to person.
The outbreak linked to the MV Hondius began after the Dutch cruise ship, carrying 147 passengers and crew members, departed Argentina on April 1 for a South Atlantic voyage.
The outbreak has prompted heightened precautions internationally, including in the Netherlands, where Radboud University Medical Center quarantined 12 staff members after officials said a hantavirus patient’s blood and urine were not handled under the strictest protocols recommended for the virus strain.
The outbreak has also sparked comparisons to the coronavirus pandemic. However, Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel previously told Fox News Digital there is “no comparison.”
He noted hantavirus is difficult to spread.
Passengers evacuated from the hantavirus-stricken Hondius cruise ship walk with their belongings after disembarking at Eindhoven Air Base, Netherlands, on May 12. (Piroschka van de Wouw)
“It’s not airborne … in terms of respiratory droplets hanging in the air,” he said. “It’s very difficult to transmit.”
While coronavirus “moved in the direction of humans in a significant way,” hantavirus has not, except for “very rare” cases of human-to-human transmission, he added.
The World Health Organization has assessed the risk to the global population as low, while noting that current evidence suggests subsequent human-to-human transmission may have occurred on board. Andes virus is the only hantavirus known to have documented person-to-person transmission, though such spread is considered rare.
Siegel also noted hantavirus cases have been reported in the United States for decades, though they remain “very rare.”
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