The number of Hantavirus infections linked to a cruise ship outbreak has climbed to 13, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced Wednesday, with three fatalities recorded but no new deaths since May 2.
The outbreak originated last month aboard the MV Honduras, a Dutch-flagged vessel crossing the Atlantic. On May 12, the Dutch Foreign Ministry confirmed the evacuation of 28 people from the ship, including passengers, crew, and medical staff. The MV Honduras remains docked in Rotterdam, undergoing full sterilization.
Ghebreyesus said Spain had reported a new case among quarantined passengers, pushing the total to 13. He emphasized that “the situation remains stable,” noting that those infected are receiving care while others stay in quarantine.
Spain confirmed Monday that a second of its 14 citizens evacuated to Tenerife had tested positive. The patient is under quarantine at a military hospital in Madrid.
Hantavirus is a rodent-borne illness that has been known for decades. According to the WHO, humans typically contract it by breathing in air contaminated with particles from the urine, feces, or saliva of infected animals. Most strains pose no human-to-human transmission risk; the rare Andes strain is the sole exception, linked to very limited spread among individuals in close, prolonged contact.
Symptoms in humans appear between one and eight weeks after exposure, and typically include fever, headache, muscle aches, and gastrointestinal issues such as abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting. While the disease can cause severe respiratory syndrome, unlike COVID-19, the virus does not spread easily between people.
The Egyptian Ministry of Health said on May 8 it was tracking the outbreak with “great attention,” while stressing that its own health situation remains “completely stable and secure” with no confirmed domestic cases. The Ministry added that its epidemiological surveillance system is operating around the clock at all ports and airports in coordination with the WHO.
