Monday, May 18Monday, May 18The hantavirus outbreak linked to the Dutch-flagged cruise ship *MV Hondius* has resulted in 11 reported cases, with nine confirmed and three fatalities, including a Dutch couple believed to have been initially exposed in South America. A French woman infected in the outbreak is in critical condition and being treated with an artificial lung in a Paris hospital .
The outbreak has sparked concerns about potential human-to-human transmission, with reports of a suspected third-generation case in Italy. An Italian man who sat near a deceased passenger on a KLM flight has developed symptoms, raising fears the virus may have mutated . However, health authorities, including France’s health minister and the WHO, have stated there is no evidence of widespread circulation or mutation of the virus, though they acknowledge the situation could evolve .
In Italy, a South African professor in quarantine in Padua tested negative for hantavirus but remains isolated, while a 25-year-old Italian man from Calabria, initially suspected of infection, has shown no symptoms and remains at home. Authorities have urged caution in handling information to prevent misinformation .
Public health responses vary by country. France has implemented strict protocols, repatriating five passengers and closely monitoring the situation, though officials admit uncertainties remain about potential mutations . In contrast, the U.S. has adopted a more relaxed approach compared to European nations .
Conspiracy theories have resurfaced, with some social media users falsely accusing figures like Bill Gates of engineering the outbreak, echoing misinformation from the COVID-19 pandemic . Public health experts, including Devi Sridhar of the University of Edinburgh, have emphasized that while the outbreak is serious, it does not resemble the COVID-19 pandemic and remains contained to the cruise ship cluster. The key concern is whether new infections emerge outside the original group .
> Background: **Hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship sparks global health response** — *9 hours ago*
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French hantavirus patient critically ill, put on an artificial lung A French woman infected in the deadly hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship is critically ill and being treated with an artificial lung, a doctor at the Paris hospital caring for the sickened passenger said on Tuesday. The outbreak has now reached 11 total reported cases, nine of which have been confirmed. Three people on the cruise died, including a Dutch couple that health officials believe were the first exposed to the virus while visiting South America. The French passenger hospitalised in...
south china morning post · 5 days ago
Covid-era conspiracy theories accuse Bill Gates of creating hantavirus outbreak As the number of confirmed hantavirus cases from the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius reaches 9, social media users firmly revived Covid-19 era conspiracy theories of bioweapons and plandemics, making the online rhetoric feel eerily familiar. Among these resurrected theories, the name of American billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has once again emerged.
france24 · 5 days ago
Hantavirus, professore sudafricano isolato a Padova: anche se è negativo non tornerà nel suo Paese Luomo, una delle quattro persone in quarantena in Italia, inizialmente voleva partire e per questo gli erano stati fatti i test del sangue per rilevare la presenza degli anticorpi del virus. Convinto a non muoversi da Asl e Regione
corriere · 5 days ago
No evidence of widespread hantavirus circulation in France, health minister says Frances health minister said on Tuesday that there was no evidence of widespread hantavirus circulation in France and that officials were rather reassured – although not completely certain – that the strain identified on the MV Hondius cruise ship had not mutated.
france24 · 5 days ago
No sign of larger hantavirus outbreak, says UN health agency The situation could still change and there might be more confirmed cases, warns the head of the World Health Organization.
bbc · 5 days ago
I campioni del 25enne calabrese domani allo Spallanzani. Sto bene, non ho sintomi da Hantavirus Attorno alle 14 è diventata virale la falsa notizia di un trasferimento di Federico Amaretti allospedale. Sono in casa, esattamente come ieri, nessun malessere. Lappello della sindaca: Fase delicata per tutti, maneggiare le informazioni con attenzione e cura
corriere · 5 days ago
Hantavirus outbreak from cruise ship spreads across multiple countries A hantavirus outbreak on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius has killed three and infected at least seven across multiple countries with reports from Europe of new possible infections.
intellinews · 5 days ago
Hantavirus, domani i campioni del 25enne calabrese allo Spallanzani. Sto bene, non ho sintomi Attorno alle 2 è diventata virale la falsa notizia di un suo trasferimento allospedale. Sono in casa, esattamente come ieri, nessun malessere. Lappello della sindaca: Fase delicata per tutti, maneggiare le informazioni con attenzione e cura
corriere · 5 days ago
First suspected generation three hantavirus case as Italian who sat alongside woman on Dutch KLM flight before she died develops symptoms - amid fears virus has MUTATED The first suspected generation-three hantavirus case has emerged, potentially signifying the first stage of a wider outbreak of the deadly rat-borne disease.
dailymail · 5 days ago
The hantavirus outbreak has been well-handled – but there are still dangerous days ahead | Devi Sridhar All the protocols that health experts like me look for have been followed. But outbreaks on cruise ships are notoriously hard to controlProf Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of EdinburghHantavirus: the disease you wish youd never heard of, as visions of the Covid pandemic flash through your head. Ive seen lots of breathless coverage and some bizarre takes on social media, so I imagine many people are confused as to whats going on.Let me start by saying that this isnt the Covid pandemic – only Covid was Covid. Previous hantavirus outbreaks have been contained (although none were on a cruise ship). So, for now, the risk to the general public is low – colleagues and I are still carrying on as normal and watching to see whether new infections arise outside the original cruise ship group. Those new infections would be the key step-change determining whether we see further spread and higher-risk public health alerts – or whether were at the end of this outbreak.Prof Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh, and the author of How Not to Die (Too Soon) Continue reading...
theguardian · 5 days ago
France puts strong protocol in place to fight hantavirus The French government has put in place a strong protocol as it races to break transmission of the hantavirus, as five passengers from the infected cruiseship were repatriated. The French Health Minister Stephanie Rist said on May 12 some things about the hantavirus that struck the MV Hondius cruise ship were not known, including whether it has mutated, although officials were rather reassured. FRANCE 24s James André tells us more Paris.
france24 · 5 days ago
US vs Europe: huge differences in protocol for passengers of hantavirus-hit ship The last passengers aboard the MV Hondius were finally evacuated this week from the cruise ship hit by a hantavirus outbreak. However, once repatriated to their home countries, they faced widely differing public health protocols for containing the virus. The United States stands out for its particularly relaxed approach.
france24 · 5 days ago