This photo, released by the Argentine Ministry of Health, shows a scientist from the Malbran Institute handling containers used for the diagnosis of the Andes hantavirus (the one detected on the cruise ship MV Hondius). (Credit: Argentine Ministry of Health/AFP)
A cruise turned into a nightmare for the passengers of the MV Hondius. The ship became the source of a strain of hantavirus, a disease that has so far claimed the lives of three passengers. The boat had just left Ushuaia, in southern Argentina (a country where this type of virus is endemic), in early April when the cluster was discovered. The investigation continues to determine which passenger was the original virus carrier. This disease, transmitted by rodents, had already made headlines in February 2025 following the grim discovery at the home of actor Gene Hackman, whose wife Betsy Arakawa died from respiratory distress due to a strain of this virus.
These cases on a cruise ship, only a few years after the COVID-19 pandemic, have raised fears around the world. While the World Health Organization already released a reassuring statement in May, L’Orient-Le Jour spoke to Dr. Georges Khalil, infectious disease specialist, for more details on the illness and its possible presence in Lebanon.
What are the characteristics of this virus?
It is a virus transmitted by all rodents, but primarily by rats and mice. Rodents carrying the virus excrete it in their droppings or urine. Humans are not infected through contact, but through inhalation. One possible scenario is that spores are dispersed along with dust, such as when cleaning a contaminated surface.
This virus has been known for a long time, but cases are sporadic and limited. They have never yet caused a notable outbreak (no more than a few cases at a time) worldwide. Only a few strains are transmissible from human to human, while others are transferred only from animal to human.
Hantavirus is not very contagious, but is virulent, with a high mortality rate that can reach 50% in certain cases.
What are the symptoms?
Hantavirus infection, after an incubation period, causes pulmonary symptoms that can progress to respiratory distress. In some cases, the virus can cause cardiopulmonary syndromes (affecting both the heart and lungs). In others, it can result in hemorrhage with simultaneous lung and kidney involvement.
Is there a treatment? What precautions should be taken?
There is no treatment or vaccine. Because it is so rare, it has not been the subject of sufficient research. Prevention should be prioritized, which means combating the proliferation of rodents and their proximity to humans. One way to control this is proper waste management, since garbage rotting in the streets attracts rodents and contributes to their proliferation. When, in Lebanon, garbage is left to rot in the sun for several days [which has often been the case in recent years due to failures in the management system], this type of transmission is facilitated.
Given the current cases on the cruise ship, is there a risk of an epidemic, or even a pandemic?
This risk remains very low because cases of transmission between humans are exceedingly rare. A scenario in which there would be large-scale dissemination of spores from rats and mice is unlikely. It is important to understand that the difference with Covid-19 is significant, and there is no need to panic. At first glance, we are nowhere near such a scenario.
Have there been any confirmed cases in Lebanon?
There have been no recorded cases in Lebanon, which does not necessarily mean there have never been any. However, rodents in Lebanon have been the subject of studies, including a recent one by the Lebanese University on diseases carried by rats. Its results found they were carriers of viruses that had not previously been identified, with genes that could be transmissible to humans. Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that there have been cases of hantavirus in particular, but to be certain, more targeted research must be done.
I myself published an article in a scientific journal in October 2025 on another bacterium transmitted by rodents: a case of leptospirosis (carried by infected rodents or by contaminated water), with the first reported case in Lebanon recently, a disease we had not previously documented in our society.
This interview was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.
