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Rachel V Thomas

Hantavirus: South African Scientists Identify Strain behind Outbreak On Cruise Ship

A team of scientists at South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases has identified the strain of the Hantavirus that has caused three deaths and infected seven so far aboard the MV Hondius ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

In a presentation to the parliament today, the South African Health Minister revealed that the Andes strain of hantavirus, which spreads human-to-human, has been identified in two people who came off the cruise ship.

Also Read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/who-chief-says-3-suspected-hantavirus-cases-evacuated-to-netherlands-cases-and-death-toll-article-154261175" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Hantavirus Outbreak Explained: WHO Confirms Evacuation of 3 Suspected Cases Amid Rising Death Toll</a>

“Incredible work of @nicd_sa, South Africa, in sequencing the #hantavirus. There has been excellent collaboration as @WHO 

works to coordinate efforts and actions of governments, experts around the world, the Ship to keep people safe,” said Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention at the World Health Organization (WHO), in a post on social media platform X.

The NICD scientists found that the Andes strain was the cause of infection in a Dutch woman who died in Johannesburg, and a British man who is still in hospital. Both had become ill on the ship, Reuters reported. 

“This is the only strain that is known to cause human-to-human transmission, but such transmission is very rare and, as said earlier, only happens due to very close contact,” the Minister said.

Other strains of hantavirus are more commonly transmitted to humans through contact with infected rodents or their urine, droppings, or saliva.

Also read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/hantavirus-outbreak-who-flags-6-suspected-cases-how-the-rare-rodent-borne-virus-spreads-article-154248507" data-type="tilCustomLink">Hantavirus Outbreak: WHO Flags 6 Suspected Cases; How The Rare Rodent-Borne Virus Spreads</a>

<h2>What is Hantavirus? How Deadly Is The Andes Strain? </h2>

As per the WHO, hantaviruses are zoonotic viruses that naturally infect rodents and are occasionally transmitted to humans. 

Globally, an estimated 100,000 to 200,000 hantavirus infections occur each year. The majority of these cases are in Asia, particularly China. Most are sporadic or occur in small clusters, linked to contact with infected rodents.

“Hantaviruses are a group of viruses carried by rodents that can cause severe disease in humans. Infection with hantaviruses is found in many parts of the world. Thousands of infections are estimated to occur each year," Van Kerkhove said.

The Ande virus is the only strain of virus with documented human-to-human transmission. It is more common in South America.

"Although uncommon, limited human‑to‑human transmission of HPS due to the Andes virus has been reported in community settings involving close and prolonged contact. Secondary infections among healthcare workers have been previously documented in healthcare facilities, though they remain rare,” WHO said in its situation report.

The WHO also currently assesses the risk to the global population from this event as low and will continue to monitor the epidemiological situation and update the risk assessment as more information becomes available.

What Is Hantavirus, The Deadly Virus on Atlanta Cruise Ship? #shorts #shortsfeed

"People really do need to understand that there are different degrees of person-to-person transmission," said Angela Rasmussen, a virologist with the University of Saskatchewan's Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, as quoted by CBS News.

Read More: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/who-says-suspected-hantavirus-killed-3-on-cruise-ship-symptoms-risks-and-prevention-article-154238794" data-type="tilCustomLink">Hantavirus on Cruise Ship: Symptoms, Risks, and Prevention</a>

In the case of hantavirus, individual people are usually the end of the line, Rasmussen said, noting that this makes this cluster of cases unusual.

"So this virus — right now anyways — doesn't seem to be as big a risk as something like flu," the expert said.

While symptoms might not appear for weeks, the strain can escalate quickly, leading to severe respiratory failure with a death rate of roughly 40 per cent.

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A team of scientists at South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases has identified the strain of the Hantavirus that has caused three deaths and infected seven so far aboard the MV Hondius ship in the Atlantic Ocean.In a presentation to the parliament today, the South African Health Minister revealed that the Andes strain of hantavirus, which spreads human-to-human, has been identified in two people who came off the cruise ship.Also Read: Hantavirus Outbreak Explained: WHO Confirms Evacuation of 3 Suspected Cases Amid Rising Death Toll “Incredible work of @nicd_sa, South Africa, in sequencing the #hantavirus. There has been excellent collaboration as @WHO works to coordinate efforts and actions of governments, experts around the world, the Ship to keep people safe,” said Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention at the World Health Organization (WHO), in a post on social media platform X.      Incredible work of @nicd_sa, South Africa in sequencing the #hantavirus There has been excellent collaboration as @WHO works to coordinate efforts and actions of governments, experts around the world, the Ship to keep people safe.@DrTedros @Chikwe_Ihttps://t.co/lXdNNiTlwZ&mdash; Maria Van Kerkhove (@mvankerkhove) May 6, 2026 ]]>The NICD scientists found that the Andes strain was the cause of infection in a Dutch woman who died in Johannesburg, and a British man who is still in hospital. Both had become ill on the ship, Reuters reported.  “This is the only strain that is known to cause human-to-human transmission, but such transmission is very rare and, as said earlier, only happens due to very close contact,” the Minister said. Other strains of hantavirus are more commonly transmitted to humans through contact with infected rodents or their urine, droppings, or saliva.Also read: Hantavirus Outbreak: WHO Flags 6 Suspected Cases; How The Rare Rodent-Borne Virus SpreadsWhat is Hantavirus? How Deadly Is The Andes Strain? As per the WHO, hantaviruses are zoonotic viruses that naturally infect rodents and are occasionally transmitted to humans. Globally, an estimated 100,000 to 200,000 hantavirus infections occur each year. The majority of these cases are in Asia, particularly China. Most are sporadic or occur in small clusters, linked to contact with infected rodents. “Hantaviruses are a group of viruses carried by rodents that can cause severe disease in humans. Infection with hantaviruses is found in many parts of the world. Thousands of infections are estimated to occur each year," Van Kerkhove said.  The Ande virus is the only strain of virus with documented human-to-human transmission. It is more common in South America.                "Although uncommon, limited human‑to‑human transmission of HPS due to the Andes virus has been reported in community settings involving close and prolonged contact. Secondary infections among healthcare workers have been previously documented in healthcare facilities, though they remain rare,” WHO said in its situation report. The WHO also currently assesses the risk to the global population from this event as low and will continue to monitor the epidemiological situation and update the risk assessment as more information becomes available.          "People really do need to understand that there are different degrees of person-to-person transmission," said Angela Rasmussen, a virologist with the University of Saskatchewan's Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, as quoted by CBS News.Read More: Hantavirus on Cruise Ship: Symptoms, Risks, and PreventionIn the case of hantavirus, individual people are usually the end of the line, Rasmussen said, noting that this makes this cluster of cases unusual. "So this virus — right now anyways — doesn't seem to be as big a risk as something like flu," the expert said.While symptoms might not appear for weeks, the strain can escalate quickly, leading to severe respiratory failure with a death rate of roughly 40 per cent.