WHO to declare end of hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship by July 2

The World Health Organization said it could declare the hantavirus outbreak that affected passengers on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius finished on 2 July if no new cases are reported. The outbreak, first identified on 2 May, has resulted in 13 confirmed infections and three deaths. More than 650 contacts have been traced in 33 countries and territories, and all but 54 have completed their quarantine periods; the remaining contacts are expected to finish quarantine by the 2 July deadline.

The virus was transmitted among passengers after the ship left Ushuaia, Argentina on 1 April and visited several South Atlantic locations. One infected passenger died on 11 April on Saint Helena, another on 26 April after returning to South Africa, and a third on 2 May. The ship later docked at Rotterdam, where the remaining crew were placed under a weeks‑long quarantine before being allowed to resume sailing on 30 May. WHO will continue investigations, including environmental sampling aboard the vessel and a study involving 21 countries, and will send a virus sample to its biosafety laboratory in Switzerland to aid development of diagnostics, treatments and vaccines.