The World Health Organization () announced today that it suspects “human-to-human transmission” between people infected with the , after announcing earlier that seven suspected and confirmed cases of the virus had been detected on the Dutch cruise ship Hondius, while .
“Given the incubation time of hadavirus, which ranges from one to six weeks, we suspect that they were infected off the ship” and “we believe that there may have been human-to-human transmission between people who were in very close contact,” Maria Van Kerchow, interim director of the WHO’s epidemic and pandemic prevention and preparedness service, told reporters.
A total of around 150 passengers are on board the Hondius cruise ship – mainly British, American and Spanish – which started its journey from Argentina in March and is now off the coast of Cape Verde, West Africa.
Three dead from the virus
Among the seven cases — suspected and confirmed — are three people who have died, one who is hospitalized in serious condition and three who are showing mild symptoms, the WHO explained.
The three dead are a Dutch couple and a German citizen, while a Briton has been removed from the ship and is receiving treatment in South Africa, officials said.
For safety reasons, Hondius passengers have been instructed to remain in their cabins as much as possible, the WHO noted, noting that since the incubation period for hadavirus can last several weeks, some infected people may not yet show symptoms.
Epidemiological investigations in progress
In the meantime, epidemiological investigations have begun to identify the source of the outbreak, the UN agency noted, with medical teams in Cape Verde assessing the condition of patients and collecting additional samples for testing.
The WHO noted that, although uncommon, limited human-to-human transmission of Andean virus, a strain of handavirus found in Argentina and Chile, “has been reported in settings involving close and prolonged contact.”
The Dutch couple who died first had traveled to Latin America and visited Argentina, among other places, before boarding the cruise ship.
Besides, according to Van Kerkhove, “the current plan is for the ship to continue on its way to the Canary Islands.”
The Spanish authorities “have indicated that they will accept it in order to carry out a full investigation (…) and of course to assess the risks for the passengers who remain on board”, she added.
“The risk to the general public is low. This is not a virus that spreads like the flu or covid-19. He is very different,” he emphasized.
