By Brian Kiprono - Reporter
Switzerland, July 2, 2026 - The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared the hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius over, bringing an end to weeks of monitoring after no new infections were recorded for more than a month.
The announcement came after the last person identified as having been exposed to the virus completed quarantine and tested negative.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed that all known contacts had now been cleared.
"Today, the final contact of a person exposed to #hantavirus on the cruise ship MV Hondius completed their quarantine period, tested negative and returned home," Tedros said.
"No further cases have been reported since the 25th of May. Therefore, WHO considers the hantavirus outbreak over."
The declaration marks the successful conclusion of an international public health response that involved contact tracing, testing, health monitoring and quarantine of people who may have been exposed during the voyage.
According to WHO, no additional infections linked to the cruise ship have been detected since 25 May, indicating there is no evidence of ongoing transmission.
The outbreak prompted coordinated efforts between WHO, national health authorities and the cruise operator to identify and monitor passengers and others who had close contact with infected individuals.
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Under standard outbreak response procedures, exposed individuals were observed throughout the virus's incubation period to ensure no further cases emerged.
Hantaviruses are primarily spread through contact with infected rodents or exposure to their urine, saliva or droppings. People can become infected by inhaling virus particles released into the air when contaminated materials are disturbed.
Human-to-human transmission is considered extremely rare and has only been documented with certain strains, including the Andes virus found in parts of South America.
Depending on the strain, hantavirus infection can cause severe illnesses such as haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) or hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), both of which require urgent medical care.
WHO said the end of the outbreak demonstrates the effectiveness of rapid disease detection, contact tracing, quarantine measures and international cooperation in containing infectious disease threats.
Despite declaring the outbreak over, health experts continue to urge vigilance against rodent-borne diseases, stressing that early diagnosis, public awareness and strong disease surveillance remain essential to preventing future outbreaks.