Swedish government monitoring hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship

The Swedish government is closely following the hantavirus outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius, according to a statement from Social Minister Jakob Forssmed (Christian Democrats) reported by public broadcaster SVT.

Forssmed confirmed he is receiving continuous updates from the Public Health Agency of Sweden and has been informed that regional infection control authorities are in contact with the Swedish passenger who was on board. “I note that the Public Health Agency shares the assessment of the WHO and ECDC that the risk of community spread is low,” the minister wrote in a statement to news agency TT.

Five of eight suspected hantavirus cases linked to the ship have been confirmed, with three fatalities reported among the eight individuals affected.

The virus, typically transmitted through rodent droppings, has prompted health authorities to test local rodent populations following the outbreak. Earlier reports indicated multiple former passengers had also been infected.