Eight cases of hantavirus. Including three deaths. Have been reported on a cruise ship linked to the French National, according to the World Health Organization. The outbreak. Linked to the rodent-borne Andes virus. Has raised concerns for the four Canadians still on board the MV Hondius, who will soon meet with consular officials in the Canary Islands.

Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship

Consular officials are en route to the Canary Islands to meet with four Canadians still on the MV Hondius. The ship, currently in quarantine, has been the site of a hantavirus outbreak. Three individuals with links to the cruise are isolating at home in Ontario and Quebec but are not exhibiting symptoms, according to government reports. Authorities have not disclosed when or where the affected individuals arrived in Canada or whether public health officials will brief the media.

Spanish authorities have prepared to receive more than 140 asymptomatic passengers and crew who have been isolating on the ship. The vessel is expected to dock this weekend in Granadilla, Tenerife. The risk to the wider public remains low, and there is no need for panic or travel restrictions, according to health officials.

Hantavirus Facts and Symptoms

Hantavirus can cause severe illness, including haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), depending on the strain. In the Americas, hantaviruses are primarily responsible for HPS, which can lead to pulmonary oedema or acute respiratory failure. Symptoms of HPS typically appear one to eight weeks after exposure, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), while HFRS symptoms usually develop within one to two weeks, and in rare cases, up to eight weeks.

The initial symptoms of hantavirus infection resemble the flu—fever, headache, and muscle aches. The CDC notes that four to 10 days after the initial illness, more severe symptoms appear, including coughing, shortness of breath, and a feeling of chest tightness as the lungs fill with fluid. In some cases, particularly with the strains found in Europe and Asia, the virus can cause kidney dysfunction and acute kidney failure.

Global Health Response and Risks

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, around 200 cases of HPS occur each year, primarily in North and South America, with an average case fatality rate of 40 percent. Hantavirus infections are typically confirmed through laboratory tests, such as the detection of hantavirus-specific IgM antibodies, as stated by the World Health Organization (WHO).

While more cases are possible in the coming weeks, hantaviruses do not spread easily between people, and the outbreak is not expected to turn into an epidemic, according to WHO. The risk to the general public remains low, and health authorities continue to monitor the situation closely.