WHO Declares Sudden End to Cruise Ship Virus Outbreak as Global Mystery Deepens

(Cruise Ship. Photo by ABC News)

The World Health Organisation has announced that the h@ntavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship has officially come to an end.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the declaration came after the final contact of a person exposed to the virus aboard the ship completed the recommended 42-day quarantine and monitoring period.

The individual tested negative and has since returned home, with no further cases reported since May 25, Tedros said during a media briefing.

As of Thursday, the WHO recorded a total of 13 h@ntavirus cases 12 confirmed and one probable along with three d£aths, at least two of which have been confirmed.

All affected individuals were either passengers or crew members aboard the vessel.

Tedros noted that more than 650 contacts had been identified and monitored by health authorities across 33 countries and territories.

He added that although the outbreak has ended, the WHO will continue collaborating with governments and partners to deepen understanding of both this specific outbreak and h@ntavirus more broadly, including coordinating a 21-country study aimed at understanding how the disease progresses, which will help support the development of diagnostics, treatments and vaccines for future outbreaks.

Last week, quarantine ended for 18 American passengers who had been aboard the MV Hondius and were exposed to the virus.

The WHO had earlier reported receiving notification on May 2 of a cluster of severe acute respiratory illness aboard the ship, which included two d£aths and one critically ill passenger.

The organisation’s working theory is that the first case was infected with h@ntavirus on land before boarding the vessel.

According to health authorities, at least 11 confirmed cases tested positive for the Andes strain of h@ntavirus, a rare variant known to be the only one capable of transmitting between people.

This is a sensitive health-related topic, so if you or someone you know has been personally affected by an outbreak like this, I’m glad to help point you toward relevant support or information.