Three people have died and one case has been confirmed after a suspected hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship travelling between Argentina and Cape Verde, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday. The WHO stressed that the risk to the general public remains low, but the incident has revived questions about possible human‑to‑human transmission of a virus that is typically spread through contact with infected rodents.
The ship departed from Ushuaia in southern Argentina, a region where the Andes strain of hantavirus circulates. Virginie Sauvage, head of France’s National Reference Centre for Hantaviruses, told AFP that sequencing the virus from the confirmed case will identify the strain and clarify how the infection occurred on board.
Hantaviruses are found worldwide and cause several thousand infections each year in countries such as China, Russia and South Korea. In Europe and the Americas, hundreds of cases are reported annually. Only specific strains that live in rodents – rats, mice and voles – are known to infect humans. The viruses are divided into “Old World” and “New World” groups. Old World strains have a mortality rate of up to 14 percent, though deaths in developed nations are rare and usually involve patients with underlying health conditions. Symptoms range from mild fever, aches and gastrointestinal upset to, in severe cases, reversible acute kidney injury. New World strains, primarily found in the Americas, can be far more lethal, with mortality rates exceeding 40 percent and rapid progression to severe lung disease and, occasionally, cardiac complications.
There is no specific antiviral treatment for hantavirus infection. Clinical care focuses on supportive measures, including oxygen therapy in intensive care units for patients with severe respiratory involvement. Early medical attention improves outcomes. People working in forestry, farming and other outdoor occupations are at higher risk, as are the elderly, immunocompromised individuals and those with pre‑existing medical conditions.
Human‑to‑human transmission of hantavirus is exceedingly rare. The Andes virus is the only strain with documented person‑to‑person spread, and those cases required close, prolonged contact, such as among family members. The WHO has not confirmed whether the outbreak aboard the cruise ship involves the Andes strain or another hantavirus. If sequencing confirms a New World strain being transmitted between passengers, it would represent an unprecedented event.
Health authorities on the ship are conducting investigations and have isolated potentially exposed passengers and crew. The WHO and national public‑health agencies are monitoring the situation closely and will issue further guidance as more data become available.
