Hantavirus: Deadly Andes strain identified as cause of cruise ship deaths

Scientists astatine the Geneva University Hospital, HUG, a collaborating centre of the World Health Organisation, person identified the hantavirus strain linked to 3 deaths aboard a cruise vessel successful the Atlantic Ocean.

The strain has been confirmed arsenic the Andes variant, the lone known hantavirus susceptible of human-to-human transmission.

A connection from HUG said the recognition followed investigation of a illustration taken from a rider connected the MV Hondius, who tested affirmative via PCR astatine the Centre nationalist de référence determination les infections virales émergentes (CRIVE), the hospital’s virology laboratory, connected 5 May 2026.

Dr Manuel Schibler, caput of the HUG virology laboratory, said the uncovering is important due to the fact that the Andes strain remains the lone hantavirus with documented person-to-person spread.

The results, helium said, person already been shared with Switzerland’s Federal Office of Public Health and the WHO.

Hantavirus: Deadly Andes strain identified arsenic origin of cruise vessel deaths