FRANKFURT, Germany – German health officials are closely watching four passengers from a cruise ship where a deadly hantavirus outbreak occurred, authorities announced Monday.
The individuals arrived at Frankfurt University Hospital during the early morning hours between midnight and 1 a.m. for medical evaluation and laboratory work, according to hospital officials. All four passengers are currently symptom-free and were placed in a specialized isolation facility.
A representative from Germany’s health ministry confirmed to Reuters that the passengers will eventually be moved to different regions across the country – Berlin, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bavaria and Schleswig-Holstein – where local health departments will continue their care.
“No indications of illness” have been detected so far, according to Timo Wolf, who oversees the specialized isolation unit for dangerous infectious diseases at Frankfurt University Hospital.
The outbreak occurred aboard the cruise vessel MV Hondius, which departed from Argentina carrying primarily passengers from Britain, the United States, and Spain. The virus strain identified is the Andes hantavirus, a rodent-transmitted disease that can pass between humans and is commonly found in Argentina and Chile.
The outbreak has proven fatal for three individuals – two passengers from the Netherlands and one German citizen. Hantaviruses are carried by rodents and can cause serious illness when transmitted to humans.
