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2h ago

WHO Counts 11 Hantavirus Cases Tied to Antarctic Cruise as Repatriations Conclude

Officials say the virus’s long incubation means more detections are likely with risk to the broader public assessed as low.

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A Boston man quarantined after a hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruiseship said learning the diagnosis was the moment he became afraid. He told ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ he plans to remain in quarantine for 42 days.
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Overview

  • WHO said Tuesday it expects more cases in the coming weeks and now reports 11 MV Hondius–linked infections, including three deaths, with all cases tied to the ship.
  • Following Sunday–Monday evacuations in Tenerife, governments placed passengers under monitoring, including 18 Americans with one patient in a biocontainment unit and two under care in Atlanta.
  • Spain confirmed a new case at a Madrid military hospital, the UK moved 10 high‑risk contacts to precautionary isolation, and a Dutch hospital quarantined 12 staff after a protocol lapse.
  • Investigators in Argentina are deploying to probable exposure sites, including a landfill visited by early cases, to pinpoint where the initial infection occurred before boarding.
  • The outbreak involves the Andes strain, a rodent‑borne virus that can rarely spread between close contacts and incubates for up to 42 days, and treatment is supportive because no specific antiviral or vaccine exists.