Source: French to English Tester Published on: 2026-05-07
Source: The Conversation – in French– By Benoit Barbeau, Associate professor, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)
The ship MV Hondius, the source of the hantavirus that caused the death of three passengers and infected at least five others, left Cape Verde on Wednesday and is expected on Saturday in Tenerife, in the Spanish Canary Islands archipelago,hence the evacuation of passengers, including Canadians, should begin on Monday.
It is theAndean viruswhich is at issue here, the only one of the hantavirus group transmissible between humans, notably through saliva droplets and urine.
It is unlikely that the first person infected by this hantavirus was aboard the MV Hondius or during a stopover. The incubation period points to acontamination occurred before departure from Ushuaia, in southern Argentina, at the beginning of April. Several of the cruise passengers traveled in Argentina and Chile, where the virus is endemic.
The risk posed by this hantavirus is “low” for “the rest of the world,” said the World Health Organization (WHO),which dismisses any similarity with the Covid-19 pandemic.
But what do we know about this hantavirus? We contacted Professor Benoît Barbeau from the Department of Biological Sciences at UQAM, an expert in virology, whose research focuses on human retroviruses and coronaviruses.
The Conversation Canada: What are we dealing with regarding the Andes hantavirus?
Dr Benoît Barbeau:It is part of a group of viruses grouped under the genus orthohantavirus. The Andean type can occasionally be transmitted to humans by rodents (through particles of excrement or urine) and cause pulmonary and hemorrhagic syndromes, potentially fatal.
What we understand, but of which we are not yet certain, is that a person may have visited places in Argentina where infected wild mice were present. After coming into contact with particles of excrement or urine, unknowingly, they could have inhaled these or any other similar matter. This is the most likely scenario. This person would have boarded the ship already infected. The contamination of other passengers then continued from there.
It should be noted that the Andean hantavirus does not have a very strong transmission efficiency between humans. It is transmitted through urine, saliva, repeated contact… For example, on a boat, in the same cabin, with frequent contact. The virus is not transmitted through aerosols, like the flu or Covid. That is still reassuring.
TCCÂ: It is not so easily transmissible, but much more deadly…
B.B.:Indeed. This virus causes two types of illnesses: a hemorrhagic fever, reminiscent of Ebola, which has a significant mortality rate (Editor’s note: Up to 40%), or a pulmonary syndrome, equally lethal. At present, there are no antiviral treatments. We can only relieve the symptoms.
TCCÂ: It is a virus less effective in its transmission, but its incubation can be long…
B.BÂ:Indeed, the incubation period can last up to eight weeks, compared to two to three days for Covid. This obviously complicates the transmission chain. That said, the person will not be contagious during these eight weeks, but most likely more so when the symptoms begin to appear.
TCCÂ: Why is South America more affected by this form of hantavirus?
B.B.:It is not very well known. In general, in fact, little is known about this virus, which was identified only at the end of the 1970s. So it is a relatively recent virus for us, even though we know that certain outbreaks in history may be linked to it. It is present in several places (including Canada), but remains very uncommon. Since 1989, about a hundred human cases have been reported in Canada. Among them, about twenty have died. That said, perhaps other people have been infected but not recorded.
What we know is that the wood mouse is the main strain of infection. It can carry the virus but is more tolerant to the infection, so it does not get sick, and the risks of contagion are greater. It becomes a reservoir. A bit like the bat for several viruses, such as Ebola, coronaviruses, and the rabies virus.
TBI: Will the current, widely publicized outbreak lead to further development of research?
B.B.:Possibly… We hope for an awakening on the part of governments. It would be wise to investigate more thoroughly. But funding is primarily directed towards research on viruses that have the greatest impact on a country and its population. And since most hantaviruses are not transmissible from human to human, there is not much interest for governments to invest in research.
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Putting energy and money into developing a vaccine would not be very profitable either, because a vaccine effective for the Andean type, for example, would very likely be ineffective for other hantaviruses, and there are many. That adds to the complexity. It is better to invest in treatments, it is more effective. We could start by reusing or testing other known antivirals.
TCC: What to expect next?
B.B.:It all depends on what will come out of the epidemiological analyses… There are passengers who left the cruise ship before it was known that there was an outbreak. They need to be traced, along with the people they have been in contact with. The transfer of passengers still on board the ship must take place in the coming days, from the Canary Islands. People will be repatriated to their respective countries. They will be isolated and confined with measures that will certainly be strict, so there is no risk of transmission in the population.
I believe we can be confident. But we must remain very vigilant.
Benoit Barbeau does not work for, advise, hold shares in, or receive funds from any organization that could benefit from this article, and has declared no other affiliations besides his research organization.
–ref. Three deaths on a cruise ship: what is known about the Andes hantavirus –https://theconversation.com/three-deaths-on-a-cruise-ship-what-we-know-about-andean-hantavirus-282320