It just keeps getting worse!
There are now 8 total suspected cases of hantavirus originating from the MV Hondius cruise ship stranded near Cape Verde, Africa. Testing has confirmed that at least three of those cases are hantavirus. Among those, three people have already died, and others have been evacuated for critical medical care.
But now the worst has happened. Someone who already left the ship and traveled home has tested positive for hantavirus! OMFG!
Related: Republicans Now Demand $1 BILLION In TAX-PAID DOLLARS For Trump’s Ballroom
According to the World Health Organization on Wednesday, after a trip to South America with his wife, the man returned home to Switzerland last month. He was on the ship from Ushuaia, Argentina, to St. Helena from April 1 to April 24. After receiving an email from the ship’s operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, about the outbreak, he went to a Zurich hospital for testing, and it was confirmed that he has hantavirus. It’s unclear what his health condition is at this time.
The virus can lie dormant for up to eight weeks. His wife, who joined him on the trip, is not experiencing any symptoms at this time, but she is isolating as a precaution.
Local authorities insist “there is currently no risk to the Swiss public.” However, contact tracing is being done to reach anyone who may have been in contact with this traveler. And, uh, that could be a lot of people! Plus… if he has it, how many other passengers have disembarked who could be carrying the virus?! Ahhh, we don’t even want to think about it!
All of this is especially concerning since WHO believes this deadly disease is spreading via some “human-to-human transmission among very close contacts,” such as spouses. Usually, hantavirus is only spread when coming into contact with infected rodent feces, but there’s a rare strain called the Andes virus that has been found in Argentina — where this ship’s journey began — that spreads between humans. And on Wednesday, WHO announced “the type of virus in this outbreak has been confirmed as Andes hantavirus.”
Swiss authorities have confirmed a case of #hantavirus identified in a passenger from the MV Hondius cruise ship.
He had responded to an email from the ship’s operator informing the passengers of the health event, and presented himself to a hospital in Zurich, Switzerland, and… pic.twitter.com/4mmBd7qSA4
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) May 6, 2026
As of now, the ship still hasn’t been granted full permission to dock anywhere. While it is still planning to head to the Canary Islands after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez granted permission for it to dock, the islands’ regional leader, Fernando Clavijo, shut that down. The national government can overrule regional authorities, though, so we’ll see what happens. As of Wednesday, Oceanwide Expeditions said it “remains in close and continual discussion with relevant authorities regarding the exact point of arrival, quarantine and screening procedures for all guests, and a precise timeline.”
Our thoughts are with all those who have lost a loved one or who are worried about a sick passenger right now. What a frightening mess!
Thoughts? Share them (below).
[Image created for PerezHilton.com]
-
Categories
