Rare Hantavirus Outbreak On Cruise Ship Leaves 3 Dead, WHO Probes Human Spread Fears

Added: 2026-05-07

[00:00:01]The luxury cruise ship battling a deadly hunter virus outbreak is headed for Spain's Canary Islands. So far, three people have died with a total of eight believed to have contracted the virus.

[00:00:11]But with nearly 150 people still on board, what happens when the MV Hondas reaches port. Once the ship arrives, healthy non-SP passengers will be flown home. The 14 Spanish passengers will be quarantined in a military hospital in Madrid. How long that lasts will depend on possible exposure as the virus can take up to 45 days to show symptoms. The World Health Organization confirmed a test show it is the Andy strain of Hunter virus. Maria Ven Kirkoff is the body's director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness.

[00:00:42]>> We only have confirmation lab confirmation from three of the eight individuals. So there are ongoing lab investigations. Only two have had sequencing done. This is really enough for us at the moment to you know understand that it's the Andes virus. I have to say that since the beginning we've been assuming that it is the Andes virus just given the path of the ship.

[00:01:02]>> Unlike most hunter viruses this strain can be spread between humans. However, unlike co that's only through very close and persistent contact. People develop respiratory symptoms and they can have very severe um respiratory symptoms requiring mechanical ventilation, requiring oxygen support. And so if they do have respiratory symptoms, they have these infectious particles as you know from other types of diseases, but some of those can others, but it's really in that close contact. It's not something that stays, you know, present in the air.

[00:01:30]>> The WH says the three people evacuated from the ship will get treatment at specialist hospitals in Europe. It's working to follow up with travelers who left the boat earlier. In the US, health watchd dogss are closely monitoring Americans who were on the ship, but said the risk to the public is currently extremely low. Passengers still on board the Honda report that morale remains high. They are following safety measures like using masks, sanitizing hands, and limiting close contact while waiting to go home. The WH says neither they nor the wider public should panic. I should take a moment to say how important risk communication is here in informing the passengers on board and also the the wider public. You know what what kind of threat is this? The next epidemic, the next pandemic. It's not. It's not. We have a situation. We're taking it seriously. It's a public health event that we are dealing with, but it's very different than an epidemic and a and a pandemic, you know, like the world has recently experienced.

[00:02:37]Let him move fast.