A person in a hazmat suit was escorted to an ambulance from a medical aircraft at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport on Wednesday, thought to be carrying passengers from the cruise ship MV Hondius. The ship, hit by a deadly outbreak of hantavirus, is now on its way to the Canary Islands, where remaining passengers will be repatriated if symptom-free.
When Did the Outbreak Start?
The first passengers on the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde, fell ill in early April with symptoms including fever, gastrointestinal problems, pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and shock. Three people have died since 11 April: a Dutch couple and a German woman, whose body remains on the ship. As of Thursday, there are eight suspected cases, three confirmed as hantavirus by lab tests.
Three people with suspected hantavirus, including 56-year-old Martin Anstee, a retired British policeman and expedition guide, have been evacuated to the Netherlands for medical care. Another Briton is hospitalized in South Africa. One person was diagnosed after returning to Switzerland, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Two Britons who left the ship at Saint Helena in late April are self-isolating in the UK without symptoms. Close contacts of those on board are also self-isolating.
What Is Hantavirus?
Hantaviruses are a large group of viruses circulating in rodents like mice and rats. Distinct strains exist worldwide. Humans typically contract the virus by inhaling droplets or dust contaminated with urine, faeces, or saliva from infected animals. Infection can cause life-threatening illness. Old world strains in Europe and Asia cause haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), fatal in about 10% of cases. New world strains in the Americas cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), killing over a third of those infected.
Can It Spread Between People?
Most hantaviruses do not spread between people, but the Andes strain, identified as the cause of this outbreak, can. The virus is endemic to Argentina, where its host is the long-tailed pygmy rice rat. Infection likely requires close and prolonged contact with someone in early disease stages. In a 2018-19 Argentine outbreak, three people who contacted infected rodents spread hantavirus to 34 others, 11 of whom died.
Where Did the Virus on MV Hondius Come From?
This remains the key question. Public health officials are compiling travel histories for all passengers, about 140 still on the ship. One line of inquiry is that two passengers caught the virus on a birdwatching expedition in Argentina before boarding.
What Happens Next?
The MV Hondius is bound for the Canary Islands, expected in Tenerife this weekend. Once docked, the 19 British nationals still onboard will be repatriated on a UK Foreign Office-chartered flight if symptom-free. All are closely monitored. Upon returning to the UK, they will self-isolate for 45 days due to hantavirus's long incubation period. Most symptoms develop in one to six weeks, but extreme cases can take up to eight weeks.
