May 07 (News On Japan) - A cruise ship sailing in the Atlantic Ocean with a Japanese passenger on board has become the center of a widening international health response, as multiple countries confirm infections linked to a rare strain of hantavirus capable of limited human-to-human transmission.
South African authorities announced that two individuals who had been transported from the cruise ship MV Hondius into the country have tested positive for hantavirus, with laboratory analysis confirming the infections as the Andes strain, according to reports from the Associated Press.
One of the infected individuals, a British national, is currently being treated in an intensive care unit, highlighting the potential severity of the illness in advanced cases.
According to the World Health Organization, the Andes variant is one of the few hantavirus strains known to allow transmission between humans, although such cases remain rare and typically require close contact.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that, at this stage, the overall public health risk remains low, despite the cross-border spread of confirmed cases.
The WHO has identified at least eight confirmed and suspected cases linked to the vessel, including infections reported in South Africa and Switzerland, where a man who returned home at the end of April developed symptoms and is now receiving hospital treatment in Zurich.
Swiss authorities said the man had been traveling with his wife, who has not shown symptoms but has been placed in isolation as a precaution while officials conduct contact tracing to assess potential exposure to others.
Health officials in Switzerland emphasized that human-to-human transmission of hantavirus remains an uncommon occurrence, and the risk to the general public is considered low, although monitoring efforts continue.
The outbreak, centered on the expedition cruise ship operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, has drawn global attention not only for the spread of cases across multiple continents but also for the logistical challenges it presents, with the vessel remaining off the coast of Cape Verde after authorities in Spain’s Canary Islands declined to allow it to dock.
Medical experts note that hantavirus infections, particularly those involving the Andes strain, can lead to severe cardiopulmonary complications, with treatment limited to supportive care such as intensive monitoring, oxygen therapy, and mechanical ventilation in critical cases.
With around 140 passengers from more than a dozen countries still on board, including four Canadians and one Japanese national, authorities are continuing to coordinate evacuations, testing, and quarantine measures, while tracing potential contacts across international borders in an effort to contain the outbreak.
Source: TBS
