The number of hantavirus infections linked to the cruise ship at the center of a multinational health alert has risen to 13 after Spain confirmed a new case among quarantined passengers, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday.
Tedros said three people have died since the outbreak emerged aboard the Dutch flagged cruise ship MV Hondius, though no new deaths have been reported since May 2. He described the situation as “stable,” with infected passengers receiving treatment while others remain under quarantine.
The outbreak, linked to the Andes strain of hantavirus, triggered a rare international tracing operation after passengers and crew from more than 20 countries disembarked across Europe and elsewhere following the ship’s evacuation earlier this month.
Hantavirus is primarily transmitted through contact with infected rodents, though the Andes strain is one of the few variants known to spread between humans in rare cases. The WHO estimates between 10,000 and 100,000 hantavirus infections occur globally each year.
Health authorities in Spain, the Netherlands and several other countries continue monitoring former passengers as investigations into the outbreak remain ongoing.
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