NEW DELHI: Two Indian nationals reportedly infected with hantavirus aboard a cruise ship appear to be isolated cases, and there is no immediate public health threat to India, said Dr. Naveen Kumar, director of the Indian Council of Medical Research's National Institute of Virology (ICMR-NIV), on Friday.
Dr. Kumar stated that there is currently no evidence of community spread and emphasized that hantavirus does not spread easily between humans, unlike COVID-19. The reported cases are isolated, and the risk to India remains low, he told the news agency PTI.
Background of the Outbreak
The remarks came after reports that two Indian nationals aboard the cruise vessel MV Hondius were detected with hantavirus. According to the World Health Organization, the Indian passengers were among a small cluster of suspected infections identified on the ship. Health authorities are monitoring contacts and taking precautionary measures.
WHO Assessment
WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said the outbreak poses minimal risk to the general public. This is a dangerous virus, but only to the person who is infected, and the risk to the general population remains absolutely low, he said during a briefing in Geneva. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also assessed the public health risk as low, though more cases could emerge due to the virus's incubation period.
The Dutch-flagged cruise ship, carrying more than 140 passengers and crew, is headed to the Canary Islands, where Spanish authorities are preparing isolated evacuation procedures. At least three passengers have died, and several others have fallen ill.
Transmission and Symptoms
Dr. Kumar explained that hantaviruses are mainly transmitted through contact with infected rodents or their saliva, urine, and feces. People usually get infected by inhaling aerosolized virus particles from rodent urine, droppings, or saliva in closed or poorly ventilated spaces such as warehouses, ships, barns, and storage areas, he said.
He added that person-to-person transmission is extremely uncommon, with only limited transmission documented in certain South American strains such as the Andes virus. Public health experts note that symptoms can initially resemble influenza, dengue, or severe respiratory illness, making diagnosis difficult in the early stages.
India's Preparedness
Dr. Kumar confirmed that India has sufficient laboratory infrastructure to detect suspected hantavirus cases through the ICMR-NIV and the nationwide Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory Network, which includes 165 labs. Symptoms generally appear one to five weeks after exposure and include fever, severe body ache, headache, fatigue, nausea, abdominal pain, and dry cough. Severe cases may involve breathing difficulties, low blood pressure, and kidney complications.
Global Response
Health authorities across multiple countries are tracing passengers who disembarked before the outbreak was confirmed. The WHO confirmed hantavirus in a ship passenger on May 2, nearly two weeks after the first death on board. Several countries, including the UK, South Africa, and the Netherlands, are monitoring possible contacts. None of the remaining passengers or crew aboard the vessel are currently symptomatic.
