WHO declares end of hantavirus outbreak after last quarantined contact tests negative

Outbreak declared over

The World Health Organization officially ended the hantavirus outbreak on Thursday, 2 July. The announcement followed the completion of quarantine by the last person exposed to the virus aboard the MV Hondius. That individual tested negative and was allowed to return home. No new cases have been reported since 25 May.

Today, the last contact of a person exposed to hantavirus on the MV Hondius cruise ship completed their quarantine period, tested negative and went home. No new cases have been reported since 25 May. Therefore, we are pleased to announce that the WHO considers the hantavirus outbreak over.

The final tally remains 13 confirmed cases, including three deaths. One of the fatalities was a woman from Germany. Over 650 contacts were identified and monitored by health authorities across 33 countries and territories.

The outbreak and its containment

The MV Hondius, operated by Netherlands-based Oceanwide Expeditions, departed Ushuaia, Argentina, on 1 April for a cruise through the South Atlantic toward Cape Verde. The rare Andes strain of hantavirus, the only known variant capable of human-to-human transmission, was detected among passengers and crew. The ship docked in Tenerife, Canary Islands, on 10 May, where more than 120 people were evacuated under strict safety protocols and repatriated to their home countries.

Spain confirmed two cases, both patients discharged from hospital. The Spanish Ministry of Health closed its own outbreak management on 20 June after all monitored individuals completed quarantine and tested negative by PCR. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also ended its active measures once all potentially affected US citizens finished a 42-day observation period with no new infections.

Looking ahead

Although the outbreak is over, the WHO will continue research into hantaviruses. The organization is coordinating an international study with 21 countries to better understand how the disease develops.

We are also coordinating a study involving 21 countries to understand how the disease develops, which will contribute to the development of diagnostics, treatments and vaccines for future outbreaks.

Tedros also thanked several nations for their assistance under the International Health Regulations, singling out Spain for its role in the safe disembarkation and repatriation of passengers and crew in Tenerife. Other countries he acknowledged were Argentina, Cape Verde, Chile, the Netherlands, South Africa and the United Kingdom.