Published May 10, 2026 | 9:27 AM ⚊ Updated May 10, 2026 | 9:27 AM
Hantavirus. (iStock)
Synopsis: Amid an outbreak on a cruise ship that causes global concern, IMA member Dr Rajeev Jayadevan explains about hantavirus and the outbreak. He said there is no need for concern as official information indicates they are without symptoms, and that contact tracing methods will be diligently followed by all countries involved.
Three passengers died, and six more are hospitalised across multiple countries following an outbreak of Andes virus (ANDV) — a type of hantavirus — aboard the MV Hondius, a Dutch-flagged expedition cruise ship that departed Argentina on 1 April. The ship is currently sailing toward Tenerife under World Health Organisation (WHO) supervision.
The outbreak is raising urgent questions about a pathogen which the world largely stopped watching for 30 years. With reports of two Indian crew members also aboard the ship, people in India are worried about whether there could be a Covid-19-like situation.
Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, a member of the Public Health Advisory Panel of the Indian Medical Association Kerala Chapter, spoke to South First explaining about the virus and the outbreak.
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Q. What is hantavirus?
A. There are many types of hantaviruses, nearly 30 to 40 types. They are found in rodents and various types of rats. They don’t cause disease in rats themselves; they live in these animals. Hantavirus infection is a zoonosis, where diseases jump from animals to humans accidentally. Basically, man is not the typical host for this virus.
Transmission to humans usually occurs by breathing in dust or air contaminated with particles from rodent faeces, urine, or saliva.
Q. Which specific strain is behind this outbreak, and why is it being monitored by the WHO?
A. The outbreak in the cruise ship is caused by a particular strain called the Andes virus, found in South America, in the Argentine region, where small outbreaks have occurred in the past. This particular strain causes a severe lung condition, with a mortality rate of 38–40 percent.
The air around a person coughing could easily be breathed in by another person, which could lead to faster transmission in a confined setting.
Q. Can this virus spread from person to person?
A. This is a critical distinction. Most hantaviruses only spread from rodents to humans. The Andes virus is the only known hantavirus confirmed to spread between people, though this is rare and typically happens in cases of close or prolonged contact.
In the past, this virus has infected those who shared a room. People attending social functions together have also been infected. Earlier outbreaks have included a “super-spreader” event in Argentina, where the introduction of the virus led to 34 infections.
Q. Why is a cruise ship a special circumstance setting?
A. The outbreak is happening in a closed environment. Not like in a village or town where people are inside their own homes. In a cruise ship, especially on a long-term expedition, there is a lot of interaction between members who know each other well.
It is like a large community of nature lovers — exploring, photographing, studying together. In a closed setting like this, it is very easy for a virus to spread. Thus, a cruise ship represents a special circumstance where transmission may be amplified.
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Q. Can it be contained?
A. Yes, definitely. It can be arrested by traditional, established contact tracing and isolation methods. Since it is a cruise ship, it is relatively easy to track and trace the movements of those who have come into contact with infected individuals. Health officials in South Africa, for instance, have already identified 62 potential contacts, of whom 42 have been located and tested negative
Q. Should Indians be worried about the two crew members on board?
A. India does not have anything to worry about in terms of an outbreak. Although there are two Indian crew members on board, official information indicates they are without symptoms, and that contact tracing methods will be diligently followed by all countries involved.
What India should be worried about, however, is the misinformation being spread by social media influencers claiming this is the next pandemic. This misinformation should be curbed immediately, and strong measures should be taken against those spreading wrong information.
Q. Are there Hantaviruses in India? Could they pose a risk?
A. Rodents are indeed found everywhere, and there are hantaviruses in India, too. But the ones found in India have not been shown to cause severe disease.
The type of hantavirus in a region depends on the climate, the environment, and the kind of foods available to rodents. Hantaviruses in India are not documented as causing serious infection.
For the same reason, scientists have divided hantaviruses into Old World and New World hantaviruses. The Americas — both South and North — are considered the New World, as these viruses were more recently discovered there.
The Old World hantaviruses, discovered earlier in Asia, behave quite differently. The hantaviruses found in China and Russia, for example, tend to cause kidney disease rather than the severe lung involvement we are seeing in this current outbreak. That is an important distinction.
Q. Is this the next Covid?
A. Definitely not. There is no question about this being compared with Covid on many counts.
First of all, the speed of transmission of this from person to person is very slow, unlike Covid, which is an extremely fast-spreading virus. Second thing is, Covid was a completely unknown novel virus. When it first showed up in China, nobody had heard about it or anything similar to it. We were constructing the science as we went along, whereas information regarding the Andes virus strain has been available for 30 years.
It does not have pandemic potential and can definitely be arrested by traditional established contact tracing and isolation methods. Since it’s a cruise ship, it is easy to track and trace the movements of those who have come in contact.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
