“This is not coronavirus… this is not a pandemic,” said infectious disease epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove, adding that the risk of hantavirus to the general public is “low”, during a briefing by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva on Thursday.
The UN agency organized an update session in an effort to calm fears over the hantavirus outbreak onboard cruise ship MV Hondius. The ship set sail from Argentina a month ago and is now headed to the Canary Islands, set to dock over the weekend.
WHO confirmed eight hantavirus cases connected to the ship so far. Three passengers have died, while five additional cases have been identified among travelers onboard.
According to Oceanwide Expeditions, 146 passengers from 23 countries remain aboard the vessel under what the company described as “strict precautionary measures.”
Meanwhile, health authorities across multiple countries have launched contact-tracing operations in an effort to contain any potential spread.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned earlier on Thursday that additional cases could emerge because hantavirus can have an incubation period of up to six weeks.
Answering journalist questions on Thursday, WHO officials said experts were still assessing whether the specific strain involved may pose any risk of human-to-human transmission. They did not issue guidance recommending masks for the general public or announce travel restrictions or protocols for cruise ships or airlines.
However, they did advise caregivers treating infected individuals to use “high-level” protective equipment.
Anais Legand, a WHO technical expert, said there is currently no indication that the virus involved is unusual. She described the outbreak as an isolated incident linked to a “specific environment”. She also noted that some countries have recently recorded slight increases in hantavirus cases overall, though she said those trends are unrelated to the cruise ship outbreak and are tied to broader environmental and seasonal factors.
“We understand why people have questions. That’s why we are giving a press conference to provide accurate answers,” Van Kerkhove said. She reiterated that hantavirus is generally not transmitted between humans and described the strain linked to the ship as rare.
WHO and infectious disease specialists are currently onboard the MV Hondius developing a safe disembarkation plan for passengers and crew. Officials said step-by-step guidance is also being prepared so that they can return safely to their home countries.
It is noted that the United States formally withdrew from WHO in January.
