Posted on 05/06/2026 6:50:00 AM PDT by Red Badger
The deadly hantavirus outbreak has spread to Europe after a passenger who had already left the MV Hondius cruise ship tested positive once back home, authorities announced in an alarming update Wednesday.
Swiss authorities said the man returned home last month following a trip to South America with his wife before testing positive for the virus, which can lie dormant for up to eight weeks.
He went to a Zurich hospital for testing after the cruise operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, emailed recent passengers about the spreading virus that has killed three people and sickened at least five, the World Health Organization said.
It was not immediately clear what condition the man is in after the latest positive test. His wife hasn’t shown any symptoms but she is self-isolating as a precaution.
Local health authorities maintained Wednesday that “there is currently no risk to the Swiss public.”
However, the news is sparking panic given that the virus appears to be spreading via “human-to-human transmission” and can be dangerous for eight weeks — with the cruise stranded at sea with alarmed countries scared of allowing it to dock.
The virus is usually spread through rodent droppings – but one rare strain, the Andes virus, can spread between people and carries a 40% mortality rate – and it’s likely the culprit behind the outbreak.
Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s director for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, told reporters Tuesday that “we do believe there may be some human-to-human transmission among very close contacts.”
Three people have died as a result of the outbreak, according to the World Health Organization.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
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“There is at least one married couple who is likely to be P2P he died first then a few days later the wife died while being medivac to Joburg.”
That was the couple that did extensive traveling in Argentina prior to the cruise.
Breaking.
The ship was heading to the Canary Islands to dock and screen and let the passengers off to go to their respective countries.
Nope the CI said no Fing way you dock here.
Oh and two crew members and an another passenger were medivac off.
The crew would not have been on a excursion so this is going to be a P2P cluster event. HFV like Ebola will rip through literal close quarters like a ship.environment it’s the worst case scenario for such a virus. You have a long asymptomatic period with active virus being shed via saliva, sweat and nasal mucus.
Think about how many times a day you touch your eyes, face, nose or mouth. For the next 8 hours every time you do put a tick mark in a Samsung note on your phone. If it’s under 25 marks in 8 hours be surprised.
It only takes once with unwashed and sterilized hands. Soap doesn’t kill virus it removes them by displacement. You need real hospital grade hand disinfectant to actually kill virus, 67% ethanol does not either you need 90+% isopropyl or 200ppm or more of active chlorine ions.
Yeah I have done consulting for biological security with a security clearance being needed for that role. Geoint, Humint and Geospatial ISR go hand in hand.
I can’t really blame them..................
The other difference is that while COVID-19 has a 3-5 day incubation period before symptoms occur, hantavirus has a 1-5 week gestation period.
The strain of the hantavirus that is infecting the cruise ship passengers is the Andes strain, which can be transmitted person-to-person.
This suggests to me (and AI concurs) that the same treatment for COVID-19 would work with hantavirus:
If someone thinks they were exposed to the hantavirus, they should begin this regimen immediately.
The caution is that once the hantavirus expresses itself, the impacts are much more severe and quicker than COVID-19.
-PJ
I have a gallon jug of 99% Isopropyl by my workbench...........
Two crew just got medivac and the ships doctor was in ICU but stable now none of them went on that excursion.
Andes Strain is like Ebola it’s a P2P capable HFV. Close quarters of a ship is the ideal place to have formite transmission, shared mess hall, shared decks too.
It’s been well documented since the 1990s Andes Strain is similar to Ebola in it’s transmission metrics. Lower R0 but it’s still a HFV and shares it’s modes of transmission.
You contain it like you contain Ebola, isolate the sick behind full PPE for care givers, contact trace and isolate any contacts between sick and direct contact or close proximity. Given this a 2-8 week incubation time people are in for some extended isolation and monitoring.
That is what should be done. Letting these people spread at will around the world and in close proximity to other airline passengers is not just dumb it should be criminal.
I keep hospital grade spray disinfectant in a 2oz spray bottle it’s aluminum quat based safe for skin contact. Things like bar tops get sprayed as does the hands before entry into the vehicle or home, and you use the liquid on your hands to sterilize the outside of the spray bottle before it goes into the pocket. You contaminated it by touching with your hands in the first place. Also you don’t reach into the pocket you push it up out from the outside. So the interior of the pocket is always clean.
We used to do drills in our full bubble suits with the SCBAs and all. White suits, blue dyed corn syrup with a UV invisible dye also added that was spray coated to the whole outside of it.
The task was pass/fail you had to get into the clean room airlock tent, decontaminate your suit and get out of it without a single pin head sized dot of blue and then the black lights came on in the dark tent. It takes much practice and systematic efforts to pass such a drill.
Yeah this was an alphabet group doing this drill.
“Soap doesn’t kill virus it removes them by displacement.”
Do your homework.
Soap kills the hantavirus.
“That is what should be done. Letting these people spread at will around the world and in close proximity to other airline passengers is not just dumb it should be criminal.”
Where are they letting people spread at will? The ship is quarantined off shore.
They are at least moving them via private jet and full hazmat suits on the sick AND caregivers.
This is going to get worse before better bank on it.
The global air travel system will eventually be this species downfall it’s only when not if. Being able to leave the deepest darkest part of the jungle in the DRC and step off into DFW ground transport less than 48 hours later means every other place on earth is equally close.
I have done work in the DRC and made it home on under 48 hours from a place where it took a MI8 helo and a single prop on a dirt strip to a asphalt strip and a twin engine to Kinshasa then Air France > Paris > DFW
You are thick headed we known this on FR.
Soap doesn’t kill RNA virus not in the 20-30 seconds it is in contact on your hands.
Medical grade disinfectants take 10 min of contact time for virus like HIV, EBOLA and any hemorrhagic fever virus.
Soap can remove the contaminated material via displacement but it cannot kill virus in the time span of contact that’s just fact. Yes they say wash your hands frequently that’s boiler plate.
In a known contact scenario such as a medical doctor or nurse you will be not using only soap you must use hospital grade certified skin contact safe viricide with at least 5 min of contact time or until air dry.
Who trained you? The CDC and USAMIIRD trained us.
I am hazmat and biowarfare certified, with full SCBA ratings aka bubble suits. The average person couldn’t use a full suit if they wanted too they would just contaminate the surrounding area and themselves too. It takes a buddy system airlock tents, decon spray and scrub stations, step in and out pools.
Yeah buddy wash your hands then touch your eyes, face or nose good luck to you if you have been in contact with Ebola HFV or Marburg
The Spanish PM said they are sending them home once they get to Spanish territory.
“However, Spain’s health minister said that the MV Hondius, with nearly 150 people on board, is expected to dock in Spain’s Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, within three days, adding that those still on board were not presenting any symptoms of the disease.
Once in Tenerife, if they are still healthy, all non-Spanish citizens will be repatriated to their countries, Monica Garcia told a press conference in Madrid.”
Put a mask on and stay 6 feet apart. It will be gone in 2 weeks./s
watch for a run on bubble wrap for the neurotics hiding under their beds, masked of course.
bump
Be careful with the hook, line and sinker...
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