What is hantavirus and how does it spread?

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- MV Hondius arrived in the Canary Islands after a hantavirus outbreak, with three confirmed and five suspected cases among passengers and crew.
- Dutch woman died from the Andes strain of hantavirus, making her the first confirmed fatality on the ship.
- British passenger in Johannesburg is in intensive care for the Andes virus, confirming rare human‑to‑human transmission on board.
- Swiss passenger in Zurich is being treated for the Andes virus, also confirming the rare human‑to‑human spread.
- WHO emphasizes that the Andes virus can spread between humans, prompting cabin confinement and self‑isolation measures for remaining passengers and crew.
Why it matters: Passengers and the MV Hondius operator face costly evacuations and quarantine, while health agencies must allocate resources to contain a rare human‑to‑human hantavirus spread, affecting travel confidence and public‑health budgets.
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