90-Second Read: Hantavirus outbreak stable at 13 cases: WHO

A Hantavirus outbreak that began on a cruise ship in April has infected 13 people, with three fatalities. The Hantavirus outbreak began on the MV Hondius cruise ship in April, when an elderly man and his wife became sick. Other passengers who left the ship before the outbreak began are being monitored by public health officials.

A Spanish national who was on the cruise ship where the outbreak began and who was isolating tested positive for the virus. Although Hantavirus is usually transmitted by rodents, typically when dried rodent droppings become airborne and are breathed in, the Andes Hantavirus can be transmitted between people during close contact. There is no cure or treatment for Hantavirus and the fatality rate can be up to 40%.

The Andes Hantavirus has an incubation period of up to 42 days. Eighteen American passengers on the ship are being held at the National Quarantine Center in Nebraska for 21 days, the time frame after exposure in which Hantavirus is most likely to appear. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus posted the latest update on social media.