The Hantavirus Cruise Ship Outbreak Is Getting More Ominous

An outbreak of hantavirus aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius has taken a surprising twist. World Health Organization officials have now acknowledged the possibility that people are spreading the virus, which is normally transmitted through contact with infected rodents or their droppings. Maria Van Kerkhove, head of the Emerging Diseases and Zoonoses unit at WHO, provided the latest updates on the outbreak this morning. There are now seven confirmed or suspected cases, at least one of which is linked to contact with an infected person. Despite this discovery, however, officials say the risk to the general public remains low. “We do believe that there may be some human-to-human transmission that is happening among the really close contacts,” Kerkhove said at the media briefing. The WHO first confirmed the outbreak this past weekend. But it appears the trouble began about a month ago. The cruise ship was bound for travel across the Atlantic Ocean from Argentina to Cape Verde, making several stops along the way. It departed Argentina on April 1. Hantavirus Outbreak Hits Cruise Ship. Here’s What You Should Know According to the WHO, the first known case, a male Dutch national, reported