Bangkok – Thailand’s National Communicable Disease Committee has approved a formal study to classify hantavirus infection as a “dangerous communicable disease” under the Communicable Diseases Act, citing the virus’s high severity, a fatality rate of 30–40% in severe cases, and its potential link to international travel. However, they also stressed the overall risk factor of the disease is low and that the public should not panic based on online fear mongering.
The decision, announced following a committee meeting on Friday, comes in direct response to a rare hantavirus cluster detected aboard the Dutch expedition cruise ship MV Hondius in the South Atlantic. No Thai nationals were aboard the vessel, and Thai authorities have confirmed there are currently no domestic cases.
Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat stated that the Department of Disease Control (DDC) will coordinate with experts to assess the designation. The committee is also set to appoint an eight-member academic subcommittee to advise on declaring or lifting disease-infected zones or epidemic areas if needed. Thai officials made it clear that the overall risk to the public remains low, but enhanced surveillance at international entry points is underway as a precaution.
Hantaviruses are a family of rodent-borne viruses that cause two main syndromes in humans: Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) in the Americas and Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS) in Asia and Europe. Transmission to humans typically occurs through inhalation of aerosolized urine, droppings, or saliva from infected rodents, or, less commonly, through bites or direct contact. Most strains do not spread person-to-person, but the Andes virus, the specific strain confirmed in the current cruise ship cluster, is the only known hantavirus with documented human-to-human transmission.
The ongoing incident involves the MV Hondius, which departed Ushuaia, Argentina, in early April 2026 with 147 passengers and crew from multiple countries for an expedition cruise. As of early May, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported two laboratory-confirmed cases and five suspected cases, with three deaths. Affected individuals include passengers and crew from several European nationalities; some have been evacuated for treatment in the Netherlands and South Africa. The ship remains under isolation protocols while heading toward Spain’s Canary Islands.
WHO officials, including epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove, have described the event as a “limited” outbreak with low overall global risk and not a pandemic or another Covid. However, they note that additional cases could still emerge because the incubation period can extend up to six weeks. Investigations include virus sequencing and contact tracing for passengers who have already disembarked and flown home.
Hantavirus infections remain uncommon worldwide but carry a high case-fatality rate when they progress to severe HPS. In the Americas, New World strains such as Andes virus have historically shown mortality rates of 30–50%. For comparison, 2025 data from the Region of the Americas recorded 229 cases and 59 deaths (case fatality rate of approximately 25.7%). Most strains elsewhere cause milder or different syndromes with lower fatality (under 15%). There is no specific antiviral treatment; care is supportive, focusing on managing respiratory or kidney failure.
Health authorities in Thailand and internationally stress that hantavirus is fundamentally different from respiratory viruses like COVID-19. It is not easily transmitted in community settings outside of close, prolonged contact with infected rodents or, in this rare Andes strain instance, person-to-person spread in confined environments like a cruise ship. Prevention centers on avoiding rodent exposure and following strict hygiene protocols in affected areas.
Thai officials continue to monitor the situation closely but have reassured the public that the country’s risk assessment remains low. The formal study and potential classification as a dangerous communicable disease will strengthen legal tools for rapid response, including quarantine measures, should imported cases appear.
For the original version of this article, please visit The Pattaya News.
