Hantavirus infection is a rare but serious viral disease transmitted to humans through contact with infected rodents or their waste. The virus can cause severe respiratory illness (Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome) or kidney disease (Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome).
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Hantaviruses are a family of viruses spread mainly by rodents that can cause varied disease syndromes in humans. Infection occurs primarily through inhalation of virus particles from rodent urine, droppings, or saliva. Two main syndromes affect humans: Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) in the Americas and Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS) in Europe and Asia.
Transmitted primarily through inhalation of aerosolized virus particles from rodent urine, droppings, or saliva. Can also spread through rodent bites or touching contaminated materials then touching eyes, nose, or mouth. Rarely spreads person-to-person.
Contagious Period: Not typically contagious person-to-person; transmission occurs from infected rodents
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The rodent-borne virus, which sickened passengers on the MV Hondius, killed three people, led to a race to find its origin and a global health alert.
The reported illnesses this spring initially looked like the spread of a typical stomach bug on a luxury ocean liner, but the situation quickly escalated to a fatal outbreak of hantavirus, a rare rodent-borne pathogen, leading to weekslong quarantines for the ship's passengers and a global health alert.
But the outbreak is now over, the World Heal
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All Canadians who were exposed to the Andes hantavirus earlier this year linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship have finished their self-isolation period, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada said on social media Monday.
Four Canadians were presumed to have been exposed to the rare virus aboard the luxury ship and immediately went into isolation upon returning to Canada May 10.
One of them, a traveller from the Yukon, subsequently tested positive for the virus, but fully recovered
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Health Canada says 34 Canadians who may have had exposure to Andes hantavirus related to the MV Hondius cruise ship have now completed their self-isolation and monitoring period. The one remaining contact and the recovered case in Canada are slated to complete their self-isolation period on June 26. B.C. health officials have said that the sole Canadian who fell ill with hantavirus recovered as of June 9. The confirmed case marked the first incident of Andes hantavirus being detected in Canada. Nine Canadians located in Ontario, Alberta and B.C. were deemed to have experienced "high risk exposure" and were directed to self-isolate. These Canadians were either passengers on the MV Hondius or had close contact with someone infected with hantavirus on a flight. Another 26 people across Canada...
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Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, says the international response to the recent Hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship has brought the world closer to ending the health emergency.
According to him, the number of cases has remained unchanged while the majority of contacts identified across several countries have successfully completed their monitoring period.
Dr Tedros made the remarks in a social media post on Tuesday, June 23, while pr
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No cases associated with the outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship have been confirmed in the U.S., health officials said.
Quarantine was lifted on Sunday for American passengers of a cruise ship that was hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak. The passengers had been held for weeks at a federal facility in Nebraska.
The day marks a return to day-to-day life for all 18 passengers, including the six who had stayed at the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center until t
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There were 12 confirmed and one probable hantavirus case stemming from the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, including three deaths.
GENEVA - Almost all the passengers and crew of the cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak who had to quarantine in the Netherlands are now allowed to return home, the WHO chief said on June 18.
There were 12 confirmed and one probable case stemming from the MV Hondius, including three deaths, in an outbreak that sparked an international health alert.
The Dutch-f
π° 26 news sources reporting on this story.
Geneva (AFP) - Almost all the passengers and crew of the cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak who had to quarantine in the Netherlands are now allowed to return home, the WHO chief said Thursday.
There were 12 confirmed and one probable case stemming from the MV Hondius, including three deaths, in an outbreak which sparked an internatonal health alert.
The Dutch-flagged ship set off April 1 from Ushuaia, Argentina, taking in remote islands in the South Atlantic Ocean before heading n
π° 21 news sources reporting on this story.
The quarantine period is due to end next Tuesday, and Mr Marsh and his fellow passengers are expected to fly to their homes in New South Wales and Queensland. The first Australian to speak publicly about being onboard the hantavirus-struck cruise ship has shared his experience after spending five weeks in a quarantine facility in Western Australia. Four Australian citizens, one permanent resident and one New Zealander were repatriated to Australia on May 15, after an outbreak of the rodent-borne illness on the MV Hondius. Ever since, the group has been completing a six-week quarantine period at the Bullsbrook Centre for National Resilience, about 40 kilometres north-east of Perth. Quarantine worth it for safety Three people died in the cruise ship outbreak. Australian passenger Peter Marsh...
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A passenger from the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship has said she is being held in quarantine away from her home against her will and despite the recommendations of a medical review by the CDC.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has long decried what he has deemed the overreach of public health measures, signed an order Monday requiring that Angela Perryman remain at a Nebraska quarantine unit despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saying it was safe for her to return to
π° 30 news sources reporting on this story.
An inmate at California's notorious San Quentin prison has exhibited hantavirus symptoms, sparking concerns of a potential outbreak in a superspreader environment.
Hantavirus drew a significant amount of public attention after an outbreak infected several American citizens on the MV Hondius cruise ship traveling around the world.
The prison, Marin County, is still awaiting federal and state testing results to determine if the 38-year-old male inmate has hantavirus, ABC 7 reported.
There have y
π° 11 news sources reporting on this story.
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View WHO Resources βDisease information on Virus Watcher is reviewed by our Chief Epidemiologist, a former CDC lead analyst for FluSight forecasting. Outbreak data is aggregated from verified sources including BEACON, ProMED, WHO, CDC, and 50+ national health agencies. This information is for educational purposes and should not replace professional medical advice.
Last reviewed: 2026-07-18
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