The World Health Organization has reassured the global community that the recent hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship in the South Atlantic is not expected to develop into a COVID-19-style pandemic.
Speaking on Thursday, WHO Emergency Alert and Response Director Abdi Rahman Mahamud said the outbreak is currently believed to be limited in scale, although additional cases may still emerge in the coming days.
According to WHO officials, the situation can remain under control if countries continue implementing public health measures and maintain international cooperation.
WHO: “This Is Not COVID”
WHO’s Director for Epidemic Preparedness and Prevention, Maria Van Kerkhove, stressed that the hantavirus cases should not be compared to the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is not the beginning of another pandemic. This is not COVID,” she clarified during the briefing.
To strengthen monitoring efforts, WHO has already distributed 2,500 hantavirus diagnostic kits to laboratories in five countries to help authorities detect and track infections more quickly.
Cruise Ship Outbreak Raises International Concern
The outbreak came to global attention after several passengers disembarked from an expedition cruise ship in the Atlantic without full contact tracing procedures being completed.
Dutch authorities and cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed that dozens of passengers left the vessel on April 24, nearly two weeks after the first reported death linked to the virus onboard.
The company previously stated that a Dutch passenger who died on April 11 was removed from the ship at Saint Helena. His wife also disembarked there before traveling to South Africa, where she later died.
Oceanwide Expeditions said 29 passengers left the ship, while the Dutch Foreign Ministry estimated the number was closer to 40. The passengers reportedly belonged to 12 different nationalities.
International Contact Tracing Underway
Health authorities in South Africa and across Europe are now attempting to trace passengers and contacts linked to the cruise ship outbreak.
Officials also confirmed that a traveler in Switzerland tested positive for hantavirus after leaving the vessel and returning home from Saint Helena. However, authorities have not yet clarified the individual’s exact contact history.
Dutch officials have also not publicly confirmed the current locations of all passengers who disembarked from the ship.
What Is Hantavirus?
Hantavirus is a rare but potentially serious viral disease usually transmitted to humans through contact with infected rodents, particularly through urine, droppings, or saliva. Human-to-human transmission is considered extremely rare for most hantavirus strains.
Symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, breathing difficulties, and in severe cases, lung or kidney complications.
WHO continues to monitor the situation closely but says there is currently no indication that the outbreak poses a major global pandemic threat.
