Two Indian nationals are among the crew members aboard the Dutch expedition cruise ship MV Hondius, which has reported a deadly hantavirus outbreak involving five confirmed cases and three deaths so far, according to a BBC report. The vessel, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, began its journey from Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1 and is expected to reach Spain’s Canary Islands on May 10.
The outbreak has triggered international concern because the Andes strain of hantavirus identified in some patients is the only known hantavirus linked to limited human-to-human transmission. Health authorities are now tracing passengers who disembarked during the voyage while monitoring those who may have had close contact with infected individuals onboard.
Two Indians Among Crew Members
According to the BBC, around 150 passengers and crew members from 28 countries were initially onboard the luxury cruise ship. The nationalities included 38 people from the Philippines, 31 from the United Kingdom, 23 from the United States, 16 from the Netherlands, 14 from Spain, nine from Germany, six from Canada and two crew members from India.
The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed on Thursday that five of the eight suspected hantavirus cases linked to the vessel had tested positive. A 69-year-old Dutch woman confirmed to have the virus later died. Her Dutch husband and a German passenger were also among the fatalities. The husband reportedly died onboard the vessel, while his body was later removed at Saint Helena in the South Atlantic.
Oceanwide Expeditions said 29 passengers from at least 12 nationalities disembarked at Saint Helena on April 24. Seven of them were British nationals.
WHO: “This Is Not Covid”
WHO infectious disease epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove stressed that the outbreak is not comparable to the Covid-19 pandemic. “This is not Covid, this is not influenza, it spreads very, very differently,” she said during a WHO briefing.
She added that authorities had asked “everyone to wear a mask” onboard the MV Hondius. Those caring for suspected cases were advised to use “a higher level of personal protective equipment”.
Also Read: “This Is Not Covid, Nor Influenza. It Spreads Very Differently”: WHO On Hantavirus Outbreak
Contact Tracing Underway
WHO said the Andes strain linked to the outbreak has shown documented evidence of limited human-to-human transmission in earlier South American outbreaks. Investigators are now tracing passengers who left the vessel and analysing possible transmission routes onboard.
Health authorities are using RT-PCR testing, antibody analysis and genomic sequencing to confirm infections and study whether transmission occurred before or during the voyage.
The MV Hondius outbreak has triggered a multinational health response involving contact tracing, laboratory investigations and passenger monitoring across several countries. While WHO says the overall public risk remains low, the presence of Indian crew members aboard the ship has drawn attention in India as global health agencies continue investigating one of the most closely watched hantavirus outbreaks in recent years.
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