Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) announced today (June 7) that a New Zealand passenger who entered Taiwan on May 7 after traveling aboard the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius completed enhanced self-health management and health monitoring through midnight on June 6, and the enhanced self-health management was lifted on June 7. Taiwan’s International Health Regulations (IHR) National Focal Point has notified the World Health Organization (WHO) and the New Zealand IHR focal point accordingly.
 

The passenger was identified through the notifications issued via the WHO and IHR mechanisms following a cluster of Andes hantavirus cases associated with MV Hondius. Based on expert recommendations, Taiwan CDC arranged for the passenger to undergo enhanced self-health management and health monitoring in a single-occupancy hospital room during the monitoring period.
 

Taiwan CDC stated that the passenger experienced no fever, cough, breathing difficulties, or any other symptoms suggestive of hantavirus infection during the monitoring period. The passenger underwent four rounds of testing on May 14, May 20, May 27, and June 3, including Andes hantavirus polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing as well as serum IgM and IgG antibody testing. All test results were negative, and the passenger remained in stable condition. Taiwan CDC emphasized that, given the negative test results and the successful completion of the 42-day enhanced self-health management and monitoring period, the passenger poses no risk of transmission to the community in Taiwan.
 

Taiwan CDC explained that as of June 2, a total of 13 cases (11 confirmed and 2 probable cases) had been reported in connection with the Andes hantavirus cluster on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius, including 3 deaths, representing a case fatality rate of 23%. International contact tracing efforts remain ongoing. As of May 22, over 600 contacts had been traced, of whom 53% were classified as high-risk contacts. The WHO has assessed the global risk associated with this outbreak as low. Taiwan CDC will continue to monitor developments through international cooperation mechanisms, including the WHO and IHR, and will adjust relevant prevention and control measures as appropriate in response to the evolving situation.