BASSETERRE — Health officials in St. Kitts and Nevis are assuring the public that there are no reported or suspected cases of hantaviruses in the Federation and that the current public health risk remains low, following international reports of an outbreak linked to the expedition cruise vessel MV Hondius.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Hazel Laws confirmed Thursday that local health authorities are monitoring the situation closely in collaboration with regional and international public health partners. The Ministry of Health further confirmed that the World Health Organization has assessed the current risk to the Federation as low.
Although a passenger aboard the vessel holds St. Kitts-Nevis citizenship as a secondary nationality, that individual has not visited the Federation.
The outbreak is associated with a voyage that departed Argentina in April carrying passengers from 28 countries. Three passengers linked to the trip have since died. Hantaviruses primarily spreads through contact with infected rodents or materials contaminated with their urine, saliva, and droppings. Infection can occur when contaminated particles become airborne and are inhaled.
The government is encouraging the public to remain calm, stay informed through official channels, and continue following public health guidance as the situation is monitored.
Key facts
- Hantaviruses are a group of viruses carried by rodents that can cause severe disease in humans.
- People usually get infected through contact with infected rodents or their urine, droppings or saliva.
- Infection with hantaviruses can cause a range of illnesses, including severe disease and death.
- In the Americas, hantaviruses can cause hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS), a severe respiratory illness, with a case fatality rate up to 50%.
- Andes virus, found in South America, is a currently known hantavirus for which limited human‑to‑human transmission among contacts has been documented.
- In Europe and Asia, hantaviruses cause haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).