Health authorities in Britain and the United States are in a state of emergency following the emergence of hantavirus cases among passengers on the MV Hondius cruise ship, as some travelers have already moved to various countries.
Read: Hantavirus: 70-year-old Greek diaspora member on cruise ship – Does not permanently reside in Greece
Hantavirus: Memories from the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic
The ship, on which eight virus cases have been confirmed (according to World Health Organization updates, five have been laboratory-confirmed and three others are suspected) and three deaths recorded, is expected to arrive in the Canary Islands over the weekend with approximately 150 passengers. However, some travelers had already disembarked in late April during a stop at Saint Helena island in the Atlantic.
The case has awakened memories from the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, although health authorities emphasize that so far there are no indications that the virus transmits with the same ease.
Passengers in quarantine in Britain
The chief scientific advisor of the UK Health Security Agency, Robin May, stated that two ship passengers already in Britain have been placed in home isolation, while authorities are conducting a “massive” contact tracing operation.
Meanwhile, he confirmed that a British citizen was among the three passengers who were airlifted from the ship the previous day and transported to the Netherlands for hospitalization.
“He will remain under medical supervision for a considerable period. I am very satisfied that he is now in hospital and receiving the necessary treatment,” he told the BBC.
Monitoring in the US as well
In the US, the CDC announced they are closely monitoring the condition of American passengers who were on the ship.
The US State Department, according to the announcement, is coordinating a “whole-of-government response” that includes immediate communication with passengers, diplomatic coordination, and cooperation with national and international health authorities.
“At this time, the risk to the American public remains extremely low,” US authorities emphasized.
In Georgia state, the local health department announced it is monitoring two residents who were aboard the Hondius, though they are not showing symptoms of infection.
Quarantine in Spain and international concern
With the ship’s arrival in Tenerife, Spanish authorities plan to disembark passengers on Monday.
Fourteen Spanish citizens will be airlifted to a military hospital in Madrid, where they will be quarantined, while authorities from other countries are called upon to decide how to handle their own citizens.
These moves highlight the difficulties created by hantavirus’s long incubation period, as symptoms may appear up to eight weeks after initial exposure.
Investigations in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay
Meanwhile, authorities in Argentina are investigating whether passengers were infected in the country, where the ship had made a stop before departing on April 1st.
According to the country’s health ministry, the Dutch couple who were aboard the ship and ultimately died, had also visited Chile and Uruguay.
The first Dutch passenger died on the ship on April 11th. His wife, who was later evacuated from the ship, died in Johannesburg on April 26th, while a third victim was a German passenger who died on May 2nd.
Additionally, a Dutch citizen was hospitalized for testing due to possible exposure to the virus, according to the country’s health ministry.
