The World Health Organization said on Tuesday it is coordinating with multiple countries after Swiss authorities confirmed a hantavirus infection in a passenger from the MV Hondius cruise ship who later sought care in Zurich.
The patient is being treated at a hospital in Zurich, Switzerland, after responding to an email from the ship’s operator that alerted passengers to a potential health event on board.
In a statement, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the agency is supporting international contact tracing in line with the International Health Regulations to identify and monitor people who may have been exposed and to limit further spread.
He said laboratory testing confirmed the virus as the Andes strain of hantavirus, typically found in South America. The diagnosis was verified by South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases and Geneva University Hospitals, with additional support from Institut Pasteur de Dakar in Senegal and Argentina’s Administración Nacional de Laboratorios e Institutos de Salud (ANLIS).
As of May 6, eight cases linked to the incident have been identified, including three confirmed through laboratory testing.
The WHO said it will continue working with countries to ensure patients, contacts, passengers and crew receive guidance and support to stay safe and prevent further transmission.
Tedros had earlier posted on X that three suspected hantavirus patients were evacuated from the ship and were being transported to the Netherlands for medical care, in coordination with WHO, the ship’s operator and national authorities from Cabo Verde, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands.
The WHO said it continues to work with the ship’s operator to monitor the health of passengers and crew, supporting medical follow-up and evacuations where needed. Monitoring has also begun for those still on board and passengers who have already disembarked, in coordination with national health authorities.
The agency said the overall public health risk at this stage remains low, while thanking all partners involved in the response.
Public Health Advice:
Passengers from the MV Hondius were urged to monitor for symptoms including fever, muscle aches, and fatigue.
Anyone feeling unwell should contact their local health provider immediately and mention their recent travel history.
Factbox: Hantavirus – Key Points
(Source: World Health Organization)
Hantaviruses are a group of viruses mainly carried by rodents and can cause serious illness in humans.
People are typically infected through exposure to infected rodents or their urine, droppings or saliva.
The viruses can lead to a range of diseases, from mild infection to severe and sometimes fatal illness.
In the Americas, hantaviruses can cause hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS), a severe respiratory disease with a high fatality rate.
The Andes virus, found in South America, is one of the few hantaviruses with documented limited human-to-human transmission.
In Europe and Asia, hantaviruses are more commonly linked to haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), which affects the kidneys.
Symptoms and Clinical Presentation
(Source: World Health Organization)
Symptoms of hantavirus infection typically appear one to eight weeks after exposure, depending on the strain. Early signs often include fever, headache, muscle pain and gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal discomfort, nausea or vomiting.
In more severe cases in the Americas, the illness can progress to hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS), marked by coughing, breathing difficulties, fluid build-up in the lungs and, in critical cases, shock.
In Europe and Asia, hantavirus infections are more commonly associated with haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), where later stages may involve low blood pressure, bleeding complications and kidney failure.