Cruise demand holds despite hantavirus reports

The Associated Press reported on May 17 that cruise bookings were holding up despite recent disease outbreaks aboard ships, including a hantavirus cluster tied to the expedition vessel MV Hondius and a separate norovirus outbreak on a British cruise ship in Bordeaux, France. Travel advisers and cruise-industry representatives told AP they had not seen a meaningful pullback in customer interest, even after the deaths of three passengers linked to the Hondius outbreak. The Washington Post published a similar report the same day, saying recent onboard outbreaks were unlikely to dent travelers’ appetite for cruises. ### Which outbreaks are driving the concern? The World Health Organization said on May 8 that a cluster of severe respiratory illness had been reported aboard the MV Hondius after the ship sailed in the Atlantic following a stop in Argentina. WHO said that, as of May 4, seven cases had been identified, including two laboratory-confirmed cases of hantavirus, five suspected cases and three deaths. (wtop.com) WHO said on May 13 that the total had risen to 11 cases, including three deaths, among passengers linked to the voyage. Eight cases were laboratory-confirmed for Andes virus infection, two were probable and one U.S. case remained inconclusive and under further testing, according to the agency. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the outbreak was reported on May 2 and identified the virus type as Andes virus, which can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a severe lung disease. (who.int) CDC said the overall risk to the American public and travelers remained “extremely low.” ### What are cruise companies and travel sellers saying about bookings? The AP said on May 17 that cruise executives and travel experts did not expect the outbreaks to produce a meaningful hit to demand. (who.int) The report said many in the industry still expected a record number of people worldwide to take cruises this year despite the Hondius deaths and the Bordeaux norovirus outbreak. (cdc.gov) The Washington Post said on May 17 that recent outbreaks were making headlines but appeared unlikely to change booking behavior in a market that has continued to expand after the pandemic-era shutdown. That assessment in both reports was attributed to industry representatives and travel advisers, not to public-health agencies. (wtop.com) ### How unusual is hantavirus on a cruise ship? CDC said the virus involved in the Hondius outbreak was Andes virus, a hantavirus associated with rodent exposure in parts of South America. WHO described the cluster as a multi-country event linked to cruise travel and said investigations were continuing into how exposure may have occurred. Infection Control Today wrote on May 7 that the outbreak mattered because it showed that “pathogens do not follow expected patterns” in dense travel settings. (washingtonpost.com) The publication said the episode underscored the need for environmental hygiene, system-wide vigilance and preparedness on cruise ships and other high-density travel environments. (cdc.gov) ### What does the public-health guidance say for travelers now? CDC said travelers and clinicians should watch for symptoms consistent with hantavirus pulmonary syndrome among people who were on the affected voyage, while emphasizing that broader public risk remained low. WHO said contact tracing and laboratory investigations were continuing across countries where passengers disembarked. (infectioncontroltoday.com) Infection Control Today said prevention measures in crowded travel settings should include attention to hygiene, cleaning protocols and outbreak preparedness. That advice came as norovirus, a more familiar cruise-ship illness, remained part of the backdrop to the broader concern around onboard outbreaks. (cdc.gov) ### Where will the next concrete updates come from? WHO said its Disease Outbreak News postings would continue to track confirmed, probable and inconclusive Hondius-linked cases across countries. CDC has also published a current-situation page and a Health Alert Network notice on the outbreak, both updated in May as the investigation continued. (who.int) (infectioncontroltoday.com)