New Hantavirus Case on MV Hondius Triggers International Tracing

Overview

• The World Health Organization said Friday that a crew member repatriated to the Netherlands tested positive, bringing the Hondius-linked total to 12 suspected or confirmed cases with three deaths and more than 600 contacts under follow-up in about 30 countries.
• Dutch authorities reported the new patient is hospitalized in isolation and French officials say a French passenger remains in intensive care while 26 French contacts stay hospitalized under a 42-day surveillance period.
• Argentine field teams trapped roughly 150 rodents near Ushuaïa between May 19 and May 21 but did not find the long-tailed colilargo rodent that normally carries Andes hantavirus; most captures were Abrothrix species and laboratory results are expected in the coming weeks.
• Public health agencies caution that Andes hantavirus can transmit between people but typically requires very close contact, has an incubation period up to six weeks, and has no approved vaccine or specific antiviral treatment, so new cases may still emerge among exposed contacts.
• Ongoing priorities are locating a small number of high-risk contacts who remain untraced, completing sequencing and rodent testing to identify the source, and using those results to guide further isolation, tracing and clinical care.