LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- The World Health Organization (WHO) has publicly stated that the hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship is not a new COVID-style threat, stressing that the virus is not airborne but spreads through close personal contact with infected persons.
During a media briefing on Thursday, May 7, WHO officials explained that the virus behaves very differently from COVID-19, advising that people keep calm as this does not signal the start of another global pandemic.
Officials said the current public health risk remains low despite confirmed infections aboard the cruise ship.
Infectious disease epidemiologist at WHO, Maria Van Kerkhove, dismissed fears that the situation could turn into another global health crisis.
“I want to be unequivocal here. This is not SARS-CoV-2. This is not the start of a Covid pandemic. This is an outbreak that we see on a ship,” she said.
READ ALSO: Hantavirus Outbreak Leaves Three Dead On Cruise Ship
She further explained that the Andes hantavirus spreads mainly through “close, intimate contact,” unlike COVID-19 or influenza, which can spread rapidly through the air.
“This is not Covid, this is not influenza, it spreads very, very differently,” Van Kerkhove added.
Meanwhile, WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus, said eight cases linked to the outbreak have been identified so far, including three deaths.
According to him, five infections have been confirmed through laboratory testing, while three remain suspected cases.
Tedros explained that hantaviruses are typically carried by rodents and can infect humans through exposure to contaminated urine, saliva, or droppings.
“Hantaviruses are a group of viruses carried by rodents that can cause severe disease in humans. People are usually infected through contact with infected rodents or their urine droppings or saliva,” he said.
He noted that the virus involved in the outbreak is the Andes strain, which is found in Latin America.
The Andes virus is currently the only hantavirus species known to allow limited human-to-human transmission.
“The species of hantavirus involved in this case is the Andes virus, which is found in Latin America and is the only species known to be capable of limited transmission between humans,” Tedros explained.
The WHO DG also explained that past outbreaks showed transmission usually happened after extended close contact among family members, intimate partners, or healthcare workers.
“In previous outbreaks of Andes virus, transmission between people has been associated with close and prolonged contact, particularly among household members, intimate partners, and people providing medical care. That appears to be the case in the current situation,” he added.
He revealed that the first patient developed symptoms on April 9, but doctors did not initially suspect hantavirus, meaning no samples were taken at the time.
The patient’s wife later left the ship when it docked in Saint Helena before she later died in Johannesburg, where medical tests confirmed hantavirus infection.
WHO officials warned that additional cases could still appear because the virus may take up to six weeks before symptoms develop.
However, the agency continues to classify the overall health threat as low.
Tedros also revealed that he contacted Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez earlier this week to request permission for MV Hondius to dock in Spain.
The ship is currently sailing toward the Canary Islands, where passengers have been instructed to remain inside their cabins while anyone showing symptoms must isolate immediately.
Health authorities say the situation is being closely monitored, but current evidence suggests the outbreak remains contained due to the virus’s limited ability to spread between people.
