Hantavirus on Cruise Ship Triggers Questions About Human Spread

A suspected hantavirus outbreak aboard the Dutch-owned MV Hondius has WHO examining possible limited human-to-human transmission among close contacts, as authorities quarantine the ship and trace infections among roughly 150 people stranded after three deaths; officials say the virus was likely introduced off-ship via wildlife exposure in Argentina, and while hantavirus is usually rodent-borne, the Andes strain can rarely spread between people. The ship may be isolated for up to eight weeks due to incubation, but officials stress it is not a pandemic-level threat and are continuing evacuations and investigations.