90-Second Read: What the world learned from the Hantavirus cruise ship scare

The Hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius appears to be ending after no new cases were reported for more than three weeks. Capital City: The Hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius is nearing its end, with the last remaining passengers in quarantine set to be released in the coming days, according to the World Health Organisation and national health authorities. The number of infections linked to the ship was small compared with the tens of thousands of Hantavirus cases recorded around the world each year. The Hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius appears to be over, but experts say it exposed gaps in knowledge about transmission and infectiousness.

Nicole Tischler, president of the International Society of Hantaviruses, said the outbreak now appears to have run its course. The Andes strain involved in the cruise ship outbreak is the only type of Hantavirus known to spread between humans, and such outbreaks have been documented only rarely. He also said the cases seen in the outbreak did not present any unusual features when compared with infections that are regularly reported in parts of the Americas. Governments in several countries placed passengers and close contacts in quarantine or isolation for the virus's six-week incubation period, although the strictness of the response differed from country to country.

Health experts say the incident highlighted both the low but real risk of human transmission and how much remains unknown about the virus. The scare began in early May after three people who had been on board the vessel died, triggering international concern that passengers from multiple countries could carry the rodent-borne virus home and spread it further. However, those infections usually happen when people are exposed to rodents at close range. That raised concerns that the nearly 150 people on board could seed infections after returning to their home countries.

In France, four people being held in a hospital were due to be released on Sunday. She also said she hoped more could be learned about the interactions between infected passengers on board. But Argentina's health ministry said last week that an investigation in a second province had not found any rodents carrying the virus.