Andes hantavirus outbreak on Dutch cruise ship triggers Italian health advisory

A cluster of 11 confirmed Andes hantavirus infections was identified on the Dutch cruise liner MV Hondius. Italian internist Emanuele Durante Mangoni, a board member of the Italian Society of Internal Medicine, explained that while hantaviruses cannot cause a pandemic, they can produce serious epidemics and should be recognised promptly by clinicians.

The virus, carried by rodents in southern Argentina and Chile, can be released in saliva, urine and feces; dried droplets may become aerosolised and inhaled, or infection can occur via rodent bites. Incubation ranges from 7‑9 days to over six weeks, with patients becoming contagious only after symptom onset. Early flu‑like signs can progress to a severe cardiopulmonary syndrome. No rapid diagnostic test exists; suspected cases require isolation in a negative‑pressure room and confirmation by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità. The investigators compiled a dossier with clinical guidance for internists and general practitioners, urging swift implementation of control protocols for travelers returning from affected voyages.