A Swiss man who left the MV Hondius cruise ship at Saint Helena has been confirmed infected with Andes hantavirus and is now isolated in a Zurich hospital. The ship, which has seen three deaths from the outbreak, is heading to Tenerife for passenger evacuation.
The ongoing Andes hantavirus outbreak on the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius has now resulted in at least one confirmed case outside the ship. A Swiss passenger who disembarked with 22 others at Saint Helena on 22 April contacted health authorities himself after receiving an update from the ship. He is being treated in isolation in Zurich and described as stable; isolation may last up to 45 days.
Three fatalities have already occurred: a 70-year-old Dutch man died aboard on 11 April, his wife died in a Johannesburg hospital on 25 April, and a German woman died on 2 May. The vessel, which departed Ushuaia on 20 March, was previously held off Cape Verde. It is now sailing toward the Canary Islands under strict quarantine measures for remaining passengers and crew. Tenerife is the expected arrival point on Saturday.
The World Health Organization has assessed the risk of broader international spread as low. The ship carried passengers and crew from 23 nationalities; investigations continue into the source of the Andes virus strain, which is known for rare but documented human-to-human transmission in close-contact settings.
