News
Latest hantavirus news worldwide. Scientific articles, official reports and epidemiological alerts aggregated daily.
MV Hondius departs from Ushuaia
MV Hondius departs Ushuaia, Argentina, with 88 passengers and 59 crew members heading toward Cape Verde via Antarctica.
First death: Dutch passenger in Johannesburg
A Dutch passenger dies in Johannesburg after disembarking at Saint Helena. Death initially attributed to unknown respiratory syndrome.
Emergency evacuation of British passenger
A British passenger is evacuated to Johannesburg in serious condition and admitted to intensive care.
Official notification to WHO — investigation opened
Oceanwide Expeditions alerts authorities of a respiratory syndrome cluster. WHO opens an investigation.
WHO confirms 3 deaths — Andes strain suspected
WHO reports three deaths and suspects the Andes virus, the only hantavirus strain known for human-to-human transmission.
Anchorage off Cape Verde — sample collection
Ship anchors off Cape Verde. Institut Pasteur de Dakar collects samples for analysis.
Confirmation: Andes strain — 3 new evacuations
Swiss passenger tests positive for Andes strain. Three additional patients evacuated. Unrelated case confirmed in Bariloche, Argentina.
Andes virus officially confirmed — route to Tenerife
WHO officially confirms Andes virus as causative agent. Spain authorizes docking in Canary Islands. France activates national health response. 8 cases total.
CDC Level 3 — WHO expert aboard — 2,500 diagnostic kits
WHO deploys expert aboard and arranges 2,500 diagnostic kits. CDC activates Level 3 response. Argentina sends experts to Ushuaia for rodent surveillance.
Arrival at Granadilla (Tenerife) — hazmat disembarkation
MV Hondius reaches Granadilla Port. Hazmat-suited disembarkation begins. WHO confirms 6 lab-confirmed cases, 75 contacts identified in South Africa.
Full evacuation — 94 passengers repatriated to 6 nations
94 passengers evacuated on Day 1 to six European nations and Canada. Ship docks at Granadilla.
122 individuals repatriated — 2 new post-evacuation cases
All 122 individuals (87 passengers + 35 crew) repatriated. Two new positive cases detected post-evacuation.
WHO: "This is not another COVID" — low risk
WHO Director-General states the risk to the public is low. 10 confirmed and probable cases, 3 deaths, 23 nationalities affected.
Latest articles
The World Health Organization has issued an alert regarding the hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius ship in Antarctica.
Researchers confirm human-to-human transmission of Andes strain hantavirus aboard MV Hondius, a unique case for hantaviruses.
Health authorities in both countries strengthen surveillance and quarantine measures following the MV Hondius cluster.
The Puumala strain causes a seasonal resurgence in Scandinavia and Central Europe, separate from the MV Hondius cluster.
The Chinese center for disease control publishes its semi-annual data. The Hantaan strain remains dominant.
The CDC reports a 15% increase in hantavirus pulmonary syndrome cases in New Mexico and Arizona.