'Low risk' as Africa hantavirus cases spur surveillance - SciDev.Net

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• Primary
  'Low risk' as Africa hantavirus cases spur surveillance - SciDev.Net↗

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

  Health officials in Africa maintain that the hantavirus poses a low risk to public health, despite confirmed and potential cases linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak. Three Zimbabwean nationals evacuated from Ascension Island are currently under quarantine in Harare, Zimbabwe, for 45 days. Additionally, South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) reported that a 70-year-old man died on St Helena, and his 69-year-old wife died in Johannesburg, with both deaths confirmed to be due to hantavirus.

• Reference
  Hantavirus outbreak linked to cruise ship travel, Multi-locations↗

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

  The World Health Organization (WHO) released its fourth Disease Outbreak News report on May 28, 2026, detailing the Andes hantavirus outbreak linked to the M/V Hondius cruise ship. The outbreak was initially reported on May 2, 2026. As of May 27, 2026, a total of 13 cases, including eleven confirmed and two probable, have been reported, with three deaths (two confirmed and one probable). Since the previous report on May 13, three additional confirmed cases were identified in Canada, the Netherlands, and Spain. The Andes virus, endemic to South America, is known for its limited human-to-human

• Reference
  THL: Two Finns monitored after hantavirus exposure on flight↗

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

  Finnish health authorities are monitoring two travelers who were possibly exposed to the Andes hantavirus on an April 25 flight from Johannesburg to Amsterdam. They were seated near an infected passenger linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak. Both individuals have returned to Finland and remain asymptomatic, undergoing close monitoring. The Andes strain is rare but known for person-to-person transmission in close contact.

• Reference
  What to Know About the Recent Hantavirus Outbreak Linked to a Cruise Ship | NETEC↗

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

  A hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius, which departed Ushuaia, Argentina, in March 2026, has resulted in three passenger deaths and one critically ill patient in Johannesburg. Several other suspected cases are under investigation among passengers and crew. The outbreak is unusual for its maritime setting, though it coincides with Argentina's seasonal peak. Environmental exposure on the vessel is suspected as the most likely source.

• Reference
  2 Finns potentially exposed to hantavirus - Daily Finland↗

  dailyfinland.fi · 2026-06-03

  Two Finnish travelers may have been exposed to hantavirus on a KLM flight from Johannesburg to Amsterdam on April 25, where an infected elderly Dutch woman from the MV Hondius cruise ship was briefly on board. The Dutch woman later died in Johannesburg. The two Finnish passengers have returned to Finland and are asymptomatic, following precautionary measures and referred to healthcare.

• Reference
  What to Know About the Recent Hantavirus Outbreak Linked to a Cruise Ship↗

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

  A hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius expedition vessel, which departed Ushuaia, Argentina, in March 2026, has resulted in a cluster of infections among passengers. As of May 5, 2026, three passengers have died, one remains in intensive care in Johannesburg, and several suspected cases are under investigation. The outbreak is unusual due to its occurrence at sea, as hantavirus is typically associated with land-based exposure. The Andes virus strain, known for rare human-to-human transmission, is suspected.

• Reference
  How South African scientists identified hantavirus on a cruise ship thousands of miles away↗

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

  South African infectious disease specialists, led by Lucille Blumberg, quickly identified the Andes strain of hantavirus in a patient evacuated to a Johannesburg hospital from the MV Hondius cruise ship. This rapid diagnosis, confirmed by the only hantavirus testing lab in South Africa, allowed the WHO to declare an outbreak. A Dutch woman, one of the first fatalities, also tested positive posthumously.