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The World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday that there are currently no symptomatic individuals onboard the MV Hondius, a cruise ship associated with an Andes hantavirus outbreak that has resulted in multiple infections and fatalities.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a briefing in Geneva that monitoring of the vessel indicates all remaining individuals onboard, including the ship’s captain and 26-member crew, are currently asymptomatic. He confirmed that the vessel is expected to dock in the Netherlands on Monday.
According to the WHO, more than 120 passengers have been repatriated or placed under quarantine in their home countries following coordinated international response measures.
Health authorities have reported a total of 10 cases of Andes virus infection, including laboratory-confirmed and probable cases, alongside three deaths linked to the outbreak. The case count was revised downward after one previously suspected case in the United States tested negative.
Officials emphasized that, due to the virus’s incubation period of up to six weeks, additional cases may still be identified among exposed passengers and crew during ongoing monitoring.
WHO epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove stated that all individuals onboard are considered high-risk due to the confined environment and the potential for prolonged close contact prior to detection of the outbreak.
She noted that WHO recommends a 42-day quarantine period from the last known exposure, to be implemented either in specialized facilities or under strict home isolation protocols.
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WHO emergency response director Abdirahman Mahamud said current assessments do not indicate the need to convene an emergency committee under the International Health Regulations, though surveillance efforts remain ongoing.
The WHO, in collaboration with health authorities in Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay, is continuing investigations into the origin and transmission dynamics of the outbreak. The work includes laboratory sequencing, exposure mapping, and epidemiological tracing to determine how the virus spread onboard.
The agency has also launched a multinational study involving approximately 20 countries to better understand infectious periods and viral persistence in infected individuals.
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