WHO chief says hantavirus cases linked to cruise ship rise to 12

The World Health Organization (WHO) chief said on Friday that the hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship has now reached 12 confirmed cases, with health authorities continuing to monitor hundreds of contacts worldwide.

Speaking at a press briefing in Geneva, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the Netherlands had confirmed an additional case involving a crew member who disembarked in Tenerife, was repatriated and has been isolating since returning home.

“There are now 12 reported cases and 3 reported deaths,” he said.

Tedros noted that no new deaths have been reported since May 2, when the outbreak was first reported to the WHO.

He urged affected countries to continue carefully monitoring all passengers and crew members for the remainder of the quarantine period.

According to Tedros, more than 600 contacts are currently being tracked across 30 countries, while health authorities are still attempting to locate a small number of high-risk contacts.

He thanked countries cooperating in the international response and epidemiological investigation, including Argentina, Cabo Verde, Chile, the Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, the UK and the EU.

Hantavirus is a rare disease usually transmitted through infected rodents or their droppings. However, the strain responsible for this outbreak, the Andes virus, can also spread between humans through prolonged close contact, often in enclosed settings.