#19,143
Overnight Switzerland has reported that a former passenger on the m/v Hondius - who left the ship (with his wife) in late April to return home to Zurich - has been hospitalized with Hantavirus, and that testing has confirmed the Andes Virus.
While not unexpected, this is the first confirmation of the virus type I've seen.
Authorities are conducting contact tracing, but are quick to reassure the public that the risk of further cases in Switzerland are low. This does raise the possibility, however, that other non-shipboard cases might arise.
I expect we'll be getting additional information from the WHO, ECDC, and other relevant authorities in the hours and days ahead.
Press release published on May 6, 2026
Patient with hantavirus infection is receiving hospital treatment
Bern, May 6, 2026 — A person with a hantavirus infection is currently being treated at the University Hospital Zurich (USZ). The patient is a man who has returned to Switzerland and was previously a passenger on the cruise ship where several hantavirus cases have occurred. The USZ is prepared for such cases, can care for the patient, and ensure the safety of both staff and all patients. There is currently no danger to the Swiss population.
In Switzerland, a person has tested positive for hantavirus. The man had returned from a trip to South America with his wife at the end of April. After experiencing symptoms, he consulted his family doctor by phone and went to the University Hospital Zurich (USZ) for testing. He was immediately isolated. A test conducted at the reference laboratory of the Geneva University Hospital (HUG) confirmed a positive result for hantavirus. Specifically, it is the Andes virus, a hantavirus found in South America. Unlike European hantaviruses, which are transmitted through the excrement of infected rodents, human-to-human transmission of the American hantavirus variant has been observed only rarely. However, transmission only occurs through close contact. Therefore, the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) considers the occurrence of further cases in Switzerland unlikely. The risk to the Swiss population is low.
The patient's wife also traveled with him. She is currently asymptomatic and has self-isolated as a precaution. Cantonal authorities are investigating whether the patient had contact with anyone else during his illness. The patient is being treated at the University Hospital Zurich (USZ) under strict safety protocols. The USZ is a designated reference hospital for such illnesses.
The Federal Office of Public Health (BAG) is in close contact with other bodies, such as the Canton of Zurich, the University Hospital of Zurich and Geneva, and the WHO, and is constantly coordinating with them and closely monitoring further developments.
Hantavirus fever is rare in Switzerland. In recent years, there have been between 0 and 6 reported cases per year. Of these few cases, the vast majority were due to infections acquired abroad.
