Indian Council of Medical Research says reported hantavirus cases linked to the cruise ship outbreak remain isolated, with low public risk.
Amid growing global attention around the hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius, the Indian Council for Medical Research has said that at present, there is no evidence of community spread or immediate public health threat in the country.
According to Dr. Naveen Kumar, Director of ICMR’s National Institute of Virology, the cases appear to be isolated ones. “The reported hantavirus cases appear to be isolated ones, and there is no immediate public health threat to India,” he was quoted by PTI. His remarks come after reports that two Indian nationals aboard a cruise ship were detected with hantavirus.
Health Ministry monitoring situation
The Union Health Ministry is also closely monitoring the evolving situation, in coordination with the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), World Health Organization (WHO), and other international health authorities, according to news reports.
The ministry remains on high alert and is maintaining close coordination with the WHO and other international partners.
What is hantavirus?
Hantaviruses are a group of viruses mainly transmitted to humans through contact with infected rodents or their excreta, including urine, saliva, and droppings. Doctors explain that people usually become infected after inhaling aerosolised viral particles in enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces such as warehouses, ships, storage facilities, barns, and rodent-infested buildings.
Health authorities say most hantavirus infections are linked to environmental exposure rather than widespread human transmission.
Human-to-human spread is extremely rare
Experts continue to stress that hantavirus behaves very differently from COVID-19. According to Dr Kumar, person-to-person spread is extremely uncommon. “Most hantaviruses, especially those reported in Asia and Europe, do not spread between humans. Limited human transmission has only been documented with certain South American strains such as the Andes virus,” he explained.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has also stated that the overall public health risk remains low despite ongoing monitoring of suspected infections aboard the cruise ship.
Why did the cruise ship outbreak draw attention?
The MV Hondius outbreak gained international attention because multiple suspected cases were identified among passengers travelling across countries.
According to WHO, the two Indian passengers were among a small cluster of suspected infections being monitored through testing, isolation, and contact tracing measures. Officials say cruise ships can create ideal conditions for infectious disease monitoring because passengers remain in close, enclosed environments for long periods.
Symptoms can resemble flu or dengue
Doctors warn that hantavirus infection may initially resemble common viral illnesses, making diagnosis difficult during the early stages. Common symptoms include fever, severe body aches, headache, fatigue, chills, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, and dry cough.
In severe cases, patients may also develop breathing difficulties, low blood pressure, kidney complications, reduced urine output, and Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS). Experts say symptoms usually appear between one and five weeks after exposure.
India has laboratory capacity for testing
According to Dr. Kumar, India has adequate laboratory surveillance infrastructure to detect suspected hantavirus cases if needed. Testing facilities are available through the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the National Institute of Virology (NIV), and the nationwide Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory Network.
The network reportedly includes around 165 laboratories equipped with RT-PCR testing capabilities for infectious disease confirmation.
