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The World Health Organization emphasized on Thursday that a deadly hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic does not mark the beginning of a crisis similar to Covid-19. Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO director for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, stated clearly to reporters that this event is localized and distinct from previous global health emergencies.
“This is not the start of an epidemic. This is not the start of a pandemic,” Van Kerkhove insisted during the press briefing. “This is not Covid.”
The outbreak involves the vessel MV Hondius, which is currently carrying approximately 147 people. As of May 7, 2026, health officials have identified eight total cases, consisting of five laboratory-confirmed infections and three suspected cases. Three deaths have been recorded since the ship departed Ushuaia, Argentina, in late March.
Scientists have identified the specific pathogen as the Andes strain of hantavirus, which is unique because it is known for limited human-to-human transmission through close and prolonged contact.
The WHO noted that while the confined setting of a cruise ship facilitates this rare form of spread, it does not suggest the virus is capable of the rapid airborne transmission characteristic of coronaviruses.
The current hypothesis remains that passengers were exposed to the virus in Argentina before boarding. The MV Hondius is currently en route to the Canary Islands, where Spanish authorities will allow the ship to dock for a full epidemiological investigation and comprehensive disinfection.
“This is an outbreak that we see on a ship,” Van Kerkhove explained, noting that the risk to the general global population remains very low. She further clarified that it does not spread the same way like coronaviruses do because it requires that close, intimate contact.
The WHO has released emergency funds to support the international response, including contact tracing for passengers who disembarked earlier in the voyage.
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