'Work not over,' says WHO after hantavirus evacuation

"“There is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak...but of course the situation could change, and given the long incubation period of the virus, it's possible we might see more cases in the coming weeks.”"

"“The push to contain the recent hantavirus outbreak is not over yet,” World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Tuesday, adding that the situation could evolve despite current findings."

"On April 1, 2026, the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius left Argentina. Ten days later, a passenger died of hantavirus while on the ship and his wife died several days later in a hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa. A third passenger, a German woman, perished and it was decided that the Hondius would dock at Tenerife while passengers were tested for the virus and those who were sick could be evacuated."

"Hantavirus has an incubation period of between 4 and 42 days. It can cause fever, muscle aches, and abdominal problems. It is also possible to have an asymptomatic case,"

Containment efforts for a hantavirus outbreak are ongoing, with no evidence of a larger outbreak yet. The virus has been linked to rodents in South America. The MV Hondius cruise ship left Argentina on April 1, 2026, and a passenger died of hantavirus ten days later, followed by his wife’s death in a hospital in Johannesburg. The ship docked at Tenerife for testing and evacuation of sick passengers, and the remaining 120 passengers were evacuated over two days. There are eleven confirmed cases across Spain, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the UK, and the US. Countries are following WHO quarantine and contact-tracing guidance, and some workers face extended quarantine for not following protocols. Hantavirus incubation ranges from 4 to 42 days and can cause fever, muscle aches, and abdominal problems, including asymptomatic infections.

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