The World Health Organization has declared an end to the Andes hantavirus outbreak tied to the M/V Hondius cruise ship, closing out a two-month response across 33-countries and territories.
In its July 2 Disease Outbreak News notice, the WHO said the outbreak “no longer poses a public health risk and no further related transmission is expected.” All identified contacts completed a 42-day monitoring period with no new secondary cases, which the agency said confirms the outbreak has been contained.
The final count reached 13 cases — 12 laboratory-confirmed and one probable — including three deaths, for a case fatality ratio of 23%. All cases were among passengers aboard the Netherlands-flagged expedition ship. Of the 10 patients admitted to hospitals, eight have been discharged; two, in South Africa and France, remained hospitalized as of July 2. The three people who died were 69, 70 and 79 years old.
Andes virus is the only hantavirus known to spread person to person, and it carries a high fatality rate with no specific antiviral treatment. WHO investigators believe the earliest cases were infected on land before boarding, with limited human-to-human transmission then occurring aboard the ship. The original source of exposure remains undetermined.
Contact tracing stretched across 33 countries and territories, covering passengers and crew, airline contacts, healthcare workers and airport staff. In all, 317 high-risk contacts completed quarantine and 336 low-risk contacts completed self-monitoring.
The CDC wrapped its share of the response in late June. Every U.S. citizen flagged for potential exposure completed 42-day monitoring, and none developed disease, said Brendan Jackson, MD, acting director of the CDC’s Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology.
Investigators are also still hunting the source. CDC disease ecologists trapped and tested rodents in Argentina, where Andes virus is endemic, but all specimens came back negative on preliminary testing. Genomic sequencing of samples from Chile and Argentina remains underway.
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.