The World Health Organisation (WHO) has published an update wherein it said it expects no further transmission following an outbreak of hantavirus on a cruise ship earlier this year.
On Thursday, July 2, the WHO said a total of 13 cases, including three deaths, have been notified (for a case fatality ratio of 23 per cent). Twelve cases have been laboratory-confirmed for Andes virus infection, and one is a probable case.
All confirmed cases are among individuals who travelled onboard the cruise ship Hondius. Among the ten cases admitted to hospitals, eight have recovered and have been discharged, while two are still undergoing medical treatment.
All identified contacts have completed the 42-day follow-up period by local health authorities in line with WHO guidance.
"The completion of the contact follow-up without detection of additional secondary cases demonstrates effective interruption of transmission and confirms outbreak containment," WHO said.
The agency concluded its statement by saying that the hantavirus outbreak, "no longer poses a public health risk and no further related transmission is expected."
The outbreak on Hondius occurred in early April 2026 while she was underway in the Atlantic Ocean after having departed Argentina on a scheduled voyage to Antarctica.
The ship arrived in Rotterdam in the middle of May and underwent a thorough cleaning and disinfection process while her surviving passengers and crew disembarked and were placed under quarantine. At the end of the month, the ship was cleared by Dutch health authorities to resume full operations.