Amsterdam: Doctors and health experts around the world are working to better understand how the rare Andes strain of hantavirus spreads after a recent outbreak linked to an Antarctic cruise ship caused deaths and raised international concern.
The outbreak aboard the Dutch expedition cruise ship MV Hondius has become one of the most closely watched hantavirus incidents in recent years because the Andes strain is different from most other forms of the virus. While common hantaviruses usually spread only from rodents to humans, the Andes strain has shown the ability to pass between people under certain conditions.
Health authorities say at least three people died during the outbreak while several others became infected or were placed under observation after developing symptoms. The ship had travelled through South America and Antarctica before infected passengers were identified.
Medical investigators believe the virus may have first entered the ship through exposure to infected rodent waste in southern Argentina. Early reports suggest that a couple who visited a birdwatching area near a landfill site before boarding the vessel may have unknowingly carried the infection onto the cruise.
Hantaviruses are mainly carried by rodents. People usually become infected when they breathe in tiny particles contaminated with rodent urine, saliva or droppings. This often happens while cleaning enclosed spaces, abandoned buildings or outdoor areas where rodents are active.
What makes the Andes strain especially concerning is its rare ability to spread from one person to another. Doctors say this type of transmission generally requires close and prolonged contact with an infected person. Researchers believe the virus can spread through respiratory droplets or contact with bodily fluids, especially during the early stages of severe illness.
However, experts stress that the virus is not considered highly contagious like influenza or coronavirus infections. Scientists say casual contact or brief interactions are unlikely to cause infection. Most known cases of person to person spread have involved family members, healthcare workers or people who spent long periods in close contact with infected patients.
The close living conditions aboard a cruise ship may have increased the chances of transmission in the recent outbreak. Passengers shared dining areas, hallways and common spaces during long days at sea, creating an environment where health officials feared the virus could spread more easily.
Doctors say the symptoms of Andes hantavirus infection can begin like a common flu. Patients often develop fever, muscle pain, headache, chills and tiredness. Some also experience nausea and stomach problems. In severe cases, the infection can quickly attack the lungs, leading to breathing difficulties and a dangerous condition called hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome.
Medical experts warn that the disease can become serious very quickly. Some patients may deteriorate within hours after breathing problems begin. Because there is no specific cure or vaccine for the virus, early medical attention is considered critical.
Treatment mainly focuses on supportive care such as oxygen therapy, fluid management and intensive monitoring. Patients with severe breathing complications are often treated in intensive care units.
Health agencies including the World Health Organization are continuing to monitor passengers and crew members connected to the cruise ship outbreak. Authorities are also tracing close contacts in different countries to prevent further spread.
Experts say the situation is a reminder of the risks posed by diseases that originate in wildlife. Increased travel to remote regions and growing contact between humans and natural habitats may create more opportunities for rare infections to spread internationally.
Despite concerns surrounding the outbreak, public health officials continue to say that the overall risk to the general public remains low. They have encouraged people not to panic but to remain aware of symptoms and avoid exposure to rodents and contaminated environments.