HantaWatch Real time hantavirus outbreak tracker
6 hours ago
- #public health
- #Andes hantavirus
- #outbreak update
- A stewardess briefly on a Johannesburg-Amsterdam flight was admitted to Amsterdam UMC on May 7; tests are expected soon, marking a potential secondary case outside the MV Hondius ship.
- WHO confirms 8 total cases on the ship, with no new symptomatic passengers; 3 are lab-confirmed. The ship is en route to Spain (3-4 days), and global risk is assessed as LOW.
- Around 40 passengers have disembarked and are being tracked across the U.S. and 12+ international locations; contact tracing is ongoing.
- The Andes hantavirus strain is the only one capable of human-to-human transmission via respiratory droplets during close, prolonged contact, primarily in South America.
- Transmission window is short (~24 hours), with peak infectiousness on fever onset; even brief contact can transmit. Person-to-person spread is rare (2-5% historically).
- Case fatality rate is 30-50%; in the MV Hondius outbreak, 3 out of 8 cases died. Early hospital treatment with supportive care significantly improves survival.
- No vaccine exists; treatment is supportive (oxygen therapy, fluids). Antiviral ribavirin may help if given early. Early ICU hospitalization dramatically boosts survival rates.
- WHO emphasizes this is not COVID-19 or influenza; Andes spreads differently, requiring close contact, and there's no evidence of increased transmissibility from mutation.
- Recommendations include monitoring for fever/symptoms (incubation: 1-6 weeks), seeking immediate medical care if fever develops, and avoiding close contact while monitoring.