WHO says 12th person infected with hantavirus detected in the Netherlands

The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged countries to continue monitoring passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship for hantavirus. This follows the detection of a 12th case, a Dutch crew member who tested positive and is now in isolation. The WHO chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, emphasized the need for careful monitoring during the remainder of the quarantine period. While three deaths have been attributed to the virus, no fatalities have been reported since May 2. Dutch authorities confirmed the infected crew member was hospitalized as a precaution, but stated the chance of further spread in the Netherlands remains very small. Over 600 contacts in 30 countries are being followed.

Canadian health officials have confirmed one case of hantavirus in a traveler returning from the MV Hondius cruise ship, which is linked to an international outbreak of Andes hantavirus that has resulted in three deaths. This confirmation brings the total number of individuals from the ship who have tested positive to ten, according to reports. While four Canadians returned from the cruise, only one tested positive. The World Health Organization has identified eleven cases connected to the outbreak, including confirmed, probable, and inconclusive results, with three fatalities. The Andes virus is the only hantavirus known to have person-to-person transmission, though it is rare. Global health officials are monitoring the situation, and while no confirmed U.S. cases are reported, one U.S. passenger had inconclusive test results.

Canadian officials announced on Saturday that one of four Canadians who returned from a cruise ship with a hantavirus outbreak has received a "presumptive positive" test result. The individual, part of a couple in their 70s, began experiencing mild symptoms like fever and headache two days prior and is currently hospitalized in Victoria, in isolation and stable condition. While a second person from the group showed minor symptoms, their tests were negative. Confirmation of the presumptive positive case is pending results from the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg. Bonnie Henry, the public health officer for British Columbia, stated that this outcome was anticipated and planned for.

Argentina is investigating a potential link to a deadly hantavirus outbreak on an Atlantic cruise ship. Health officials will capture and test rodents in Ushuaia, a region visited by a Dutch couple who died from the virus, to determine if it's the source. Three people, including the Dutch couple and a German national, have died from the outbreak, with eight suspected cases reported. The cruise ship, which had been off the coast of Cape Verde, has departed for Spain after three individuals were evacuated. The World Health Organization states the wider public risk is low, as hantavirus transmission requires very close contact.

A hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius has led to human-to-human transmission of the Andes strain, according to South Africa. The ship, carrying nearly 150 people, was marooned off Cape Verde due to the outbreak, which has resulted in at least three deaths, including a Dutch couple and a German national. A British national is in intensive care in South Africa, and a Swiss passenger has been diagnosed. The World Health Organization has stated the risk to the general public is low, as human-to-human spread is rare and typically occurs through very close contact. The ship is now heading to Spain's Canary Island of Tenerife after being granted permission to dock.

Authorities are seriously investigating a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship that departed from Argentina a month ago, resulting in three passenger deaths and four medical evacuations. The Andes strain of hantavirus, responsible for this outbreak, is not highly contagious and human-to-human spread is rare, with the World Health Organization emphasizing the low global risk to the general public. While the exact source is unclear, hantavirus typically spreads from rodents, and close contact on the ship may have facilitated some human-to-human transmission. Eight cases, including confirmed and suspected, have been identified among passengers, with efforts underway to trace potentially exposed individuals who have traveled to various countries.