Hantavirus cases remain at 13, no new deaths reported in over month: WHO chief

The number of hantavirus cases reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) remains at 13, with no new deaths recorded in more than a month, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Saturday.

"The number of cases reported to WHO remains 13, including three deaths," Tedros wrote on the US social media platform X.

He said no additional deaths have been reported to the UN agency for more than a month and that WHO remains in close contact with governments where patients are receiving treatment or where passengers and crew members are being quarantined.

Hantaviruses are a group of rodent-borne viruses that can cause severe illness in humans. Most hantavirus strains are associated with specific rodent species and do not spread between people.

However, the strain linked to the recent outbreak, the Andes virus, can be transmitted between humans through prolonged close contact, particularly in enclosed environments.

The recent outbreak was linked to passengers aboard a cruise voyage, prompting health monitoring and containment measures after several infections were identified during and shortly after the trip.

The virus drew international attention after a 70-year-old Dutch passenger became ill on April 6 aboard the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, five days after the vessel departed from Ushuaia in southern Argentina.

Tedros said WHO continues to monitor the situation closely and coordinate with national authorities involved in response efforts.