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Agence France-Presse

The World Health Organization on Thursday declared an end to the deadly hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship which sparked international alarm, after the last person left quarantine.
There were 12 confirmed and one probable case stemming from the MV Hondius, including three deaths.
But while the outbreak is now over, for scientists and experts, the work is only in its early stages, as they try to learn lessons from the episode that triggered a global health alert.
“Today, the final contact of a person exposed to hantavirus on the cruise ship MV Hondius completed their quarantine period, tested negative and returned home,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference.
“No further cases have been reported since May 25.
“We are therefore very pleased to say that WHO considers the outbreak of hantavirus over.”




The Dutch-flagged ship set off April 1 from Ushuaia, Argentina, taking in remote islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, including Tristan da Cunha, before heading north to Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands, where remaining passengers were evacuated.
The polar exploration ship finally docked on May 18 in Rotterdam harbour in the Netherlands.
On May 30, the ship was cleared to put to sea again after cleaning and disinfection.
Tedros said more than 650 contacts were identified and followed up by health authorities in 33 countries and territories.
He said the WHO would continue working to understand the outbreak, and the virus itself.
“We are also coordinating a study involving 21 countries to understand how the disease develops, which will support the development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines for future outbreaks,” Tedros said.




Spread by rodents, hantavirus is a rare virus for which no vaccines or specific treatments exist.
The Andes species behind the Hondius outbreak is the only strain of hantavirus known to be able to jump from human to human.
It had been thought that a passenger on the ship caught the virus while travelling in regions of Argentina where it is endemic.
However, the country’s health ministry announced in June that an investigation in a second Argentine province had failed to find any virus-carrying rodents.
Diana Rojas Alvarez, the WHO’s high impact epidemics chief, said the Hondius outbreak could be declared over as it was no longer a public health risk.
“However, Andes virus and other hantaviruses are still a public health threat for South America and some other endemic areas,” she said.
Experts need to keep monitoring such viruses and preparing for further spread, and involve local communities in preparedness and prevention.
“The work on hantaviruses needs to continue over time,” she said.
The WHO hoped the episode might spur its member states into finally completing the missing part of the Pandemic Agreement later this month, so it may finally become operational.


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Hantavirus infection

People in protective gear after disembarking from the MV Hondius in Tenerife, Spain’s Canary Islands, in May. Photo: AFP

Argentine city tries to shrug off hantavirus ship ‘patient zero’ suspicions

Ushuaia, Argentina’s city 'at the end of the world'. Photo: AP

A municipal landfill in Ushuaia. Photo: AFP

More passengers from hantavirus-hit cruise ship test positive

A bus transporting repatriated British nationals from the MV Hondius as they arrive at Arrowe Park Hospital in Birkenhead, Britain. Photo: Reuters

Workers in protective gear on a tanker next to MV Hondius in Tenerife, in Spain’s Canary Islands. Photo: Reuters

Paratroopers jump onto Britain’s most remote inhabited island for hantavirus mission

An ICU nurse and a paratrooper make the jump. Photo: UK MOD via Reuters

Crew prepare to drop supplies. Photo: UK MOD via Reuters

Paratroopers pose for a photo to signal mission success. Photo: UK MOD via AFP

Deadly hantavirus outbreak traps 150 on cruise ship as WHO identifies more cases

The MV Hondius, a cruise ship with nearly 150 people aboard, has been waiting for help off the coast of Cabo Verde. Photo: Reuters

A satellite image shows the MV Hondius off the coast of Praia, Cabo Verde. Photo: PBC Planet Labs via Reuters

The Hondius has 80 cabins and a capacity of 170 passengers. Photo: Oceanwide Expeditions via AP

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World

The rodent-borne disease infected at least 12 people, killing three, and triggered a global health alert


The rodent-borne disease infected at least 12 people, killing three, and triggered a global health alert.


WHO declares cruise ship-linked hantavirus outbreak over

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The rodent-borne disease infected at least 12 people, killing three, and triggered a global health alert

The rodent-borne disease infected at least 12 people, killing three, and triggered a global health alert