Adnkronos (Adnkronos) – Infectious disease specialist Matteo Bassetti returns to the Hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius. On X, the director of the Infectious Diseases clinic at the San Martino Hospital in Genoa confirms that the Andes strain, the only known variant of Hantavirus capable of spreading from person to person, is responsible for the cases, which have risen to 8 today, and the 3 deaths.
A characteristic that, according to Bassetti, makes the picture more complex than other outbreaks.
The problem is no longer confined to the ship. Some passengers who tested positive have, in fact, used airplanes and other means of transportation after disembarking, increasing the risk of spread beyond the cruise. "I believe we will hear more about this virus, even outside the Hondius," Bassetti writes.
The Andes strain is transmitted only through very close contact, but the alert remains high. WHO and health authorities are tracing the passengers' contacts, while the ship is heading to the Canary Islands for emergency management.
Today, Wednesday, May 6, a new case of Hantavirus was discovered in Zurich. The patient was a passenger on the cruise ship where the outbreak occurred.
The man voluntarily went to the hospital after receiving the health alert related to the ship and is now hospitalized in isolation. He has mild respiratory symptoms, and his wife, currently asymptomatic, has chosen to self-isolate as a precaution.
The WHO has confirmed the case and is coordinating monitoring with the affected countries, while laboratories in Geneva have identified the Andes strain. This is a rare variant of Hantavirus, the only one that can be transmitted from person to person, but only through very close contact. The total number of cases linked to the outbreak has risen to eight, with three confirmed by tests. The Swiss passenger had also passed through Saint Helena.
Meanwhile, Spain has given the green light to the MV Hondius to dock in the Canary Islands, citing international law and humanitarian principles. The health protocol is being finalized with the WHO and ECDC and will be communicated in future official updates.
The three symptomatic people on board have already been evacuated via Cape Verde, where the ship was docked after the emergency. According to Madrid, the ship will reach the Canary Islands within three to four days to provide assistance to passengers and crew.
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