APAC monitors hantavirus as Singapore isolates 2 from cruise ship | BioWorld

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  APAC monitors hantavirus as Singapore isolates 2 from cruise ship | BioWorld↗

  bioworld.com · 2026-06-03

  Singapore's Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) isolated two residents for hantavirus testing on May 7, 2026, after they disembarked from the MV Hondius cruise ship, which had an outbreak resulting in three deaths. These individuals were on the same flight from St. Helena to Johannesburg as an infected person who later died in South Africa. Other Asia-Pacific (APAC) countries, including Korea, Japan, and Australia, have also issued formal advisories, reiterating a low risk of domestic spread. The Andes virus, found in the Americas, causes HCPS and has been associated with human-to-human transmi

• Reference
  Korean frontier in discovery, prevention of hantavirus returns to spotlight - The Korea Herald↗

  koreaherald.com · 2026-06-03

  The article highlights the legacy of Korean virologist Lee Ho-wang, who identified hantavirus and developed the first vaccine, in light of the MV Hondius outbreak. It notes that hantavirus strains in East Asia generally have lower fatality rates than those in the Americas. While South Korea sees hundreds of cases annually, mostly in rural areas, the Andes strain from the cruise ship has a higher fatality rate.

• Reference
  Asia faces low hantavirus risk as Singapore isolates 2 from cruise over cases↗

  vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com · 2026-06-03

  Health experts indicate a minimal risk of a hantavirus outbreak in Asia, despite two Singapore residents returning from the M/V Hondius cruise ship where three deaths occurred. Hantaviruses are primarily rat-carried, with human-to-human transmission being extremely rare, documented only for certain strains like the Andes virus. The virus, named after South Korea's Hantan River, can incubate for weeks. Public health authorities across Asia are on alert following the recent cases.

• Reference
  Cruise hantavirus deaths spur Korea to bolster surveillance and diagnosis↗

  english.chosun.com · 2026-06-03

  Following hantavirus infections on the MV Hondius cruise ship, South Korean health authorities are re-evaluating domestic surveillance and diagnosis. While the Andes virus from the cruise ship is rare for human-to-human transmission, Korea reports several hundred cases of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) annually, with 373 cases in 2024. Experts emphasize the need for improved vaccines and early diagnostic methods for local Hantan and Seoul viruses.