Two Indians part of Dutch luxury cruise vessel crew hit by hantavirus outbreak

At least two Indian nationals are part of the crew of the Dutch vessel MV Hondius, which reported a hantavirus outbreak with five confirmed cases and three deaths so far, according to the BBC. The luxury cruise ship, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, began its journey on April 1 from Argentina's Ushuaia and is expected to arrive in Spain's Canary Islands on May 10.

About 150 passengers and crew from 28 countries were initially aboard the luxury cruise, but dozens disembarked on the island of St Helena on April 24, according to the report. Of the 28 nationalities onboard, 38 are from the Philippines, 31 from the UK, 23 from the US, 16 from the Netherlands, 14 from Spain, nine from Germany, six from Canada, and two crew members from India, among others, the BBC reported.

Is it a pandemic?
The World Health Organisation said on Thursday that five of the eight suspected hantavirus cases had been confirmed. A 69-year-old Dutch woman, confirmed to have the virus, has died; her Dutch husband and a German woman were also among the fatalities. Their cases are being investigated. The UN health agency has said the outbreak is not the start of a pandemic.

Maria van Kerkhove, an infectious disease epidemiologist at WHO, told a news briefing that the situation is not the same as six years ago with Covid-19 because hantavirus spreads through "close, intimate contact". Van Kerkhove said, "This is not Covid, this is not influenza, it spreads very, very differently". She said authorities had asked "everyone to wear a mask" on board the MV Hondius. Those in contact with or caring for suspected cases, she added, should "wear a higher level of personal protective equipment".

Where is the crew now?
Most of the cruise crew is still onboard MV Hondius. The ship is sailing in accordance with isolation protocols, and there are around 19 people aboard. As for the health conditions of the Indian crew members, there are no reports on them yet. Once the ship arrives in Spain, the passengers and crew will be disembarked in stages and transferred to quarantine.

What is hantavirus?
It is a group of fatal viruses that spread mainly through the saliva, droppings, and urine of rodents such as rats and mice. Humans can become infected if they inhale airborne virus particles, which can result in kidney issues, respiratory failure, and more. Generally, Hantavirus spreads from rodents. However, in the latest outbreak, the transmission between people was documented for the first time, the WHO said. Know more about the disease here.
(With PTI inputs)