Health authorities in multiple countries are racing to contain the fallout from a hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship, which departed Argentina last month. The virus, identified as the Andes strain, has already claimed three lives among passengers and crew, with eight confirmed cases reported by the World Health Organization as of Friday.

The ship carried 147 people from the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Dozens of passengers disembarked before the ship was isolated, some returning to homes in Arizona, California, Georgia, Texas, and Virginia. Virginia health officials are monitoring a male passenger who remains asymptomatic, according to Dr. Cameron Webb, the state's health commissioner.

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What Is the Treatment for Hantavirus?

Currently, there is no cure or approved antiviral medication for hantavirus infection, which causes hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that 38% of patients who develop respiratory symptoms die from the disease. Treatment focuses on supportive care to manage symptoms, including monitoring for respiratory, cardiac, and kidney complications, according to WHO.

Early detection is critical. Dr. Sonja Bartolome of UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas explained that early symptoms—fatigue, fever, muscle aches—can mimic the flu. Patients who seek care promptly have a better chance of survival, said Nyka Alexander, WHO's emergencies communications lead, who stressed that early treatment of mild symptoms and supportive care improve outcomes.

WHO has also stated it has seen no research supporting ivermectin as an effective treatment for hantaviruses.

Diagnosis remains challenging because initial symptoms overlap with less severe illnesses. WHO advises doctors to consider rodent exposure, travel history, and contact with known cases. Lab tests can confirm infection.

The outbreak has prompted the CDC to activate its lowest emergency level for hantavirus, though WHO maintains the overall risk to the public is low. Dr. Abdirahman Mahamud, WHO's alert and response director, expressed confidence that with proper public health measures, the outbreak would remain limited.

As of Thursday, all remaining passengers and crew on the MV Hondius were asymptomatic, according to Oceanwide Expeditions, the ship's operator.