Hantavirus Cluster on Cruise Revives Bitcoin Crash Fears

Seven passengers and crew aboard the MV Hondius have fallen ill and three have died in a hantavirus cluster, the World Health Organization said, and the agency warned it cannot rule out transmission between close contacts on the ship. The WHO described the overall global risk as low and limited to the cruise environment at present.

The cruise departed Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1. The vessel carried 147 passengers and crew. Of the seven people who became ill, three died, one was reported in critical condition and three had mild symptoms, according to WHO briefings. Swiss health authorities confirmed a case in a passenger who sought care in Zurich after being notified by the ship operator. A 69-year-old Dutch woman who disembarked in Saint Helena on April 24 later died after flying to Johannesburg. WHO teams are tracing more than 80 passengers and six crew members who were on a regional flight with that passenger.

Hantaviruses are transmitted primarily through contact with the urine, feces or saliva of infected rodents. In parts of the Americas, some hantavirus infections have had fatality rates up to about 50 percent. There are no approved vaccines or specific antiviral treatments for hantavirus infections. Human-to-human transmission is uncommon and has been documented only in limited circumstances, typically requiring very close contact.

The report of the cluster prompted renewed attention among some cryptocurrency investors and traders because of memories of market moves in March 2020. When the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020, global markets experienced a sharp sell-off; Bitcoin lost more than 50 percent of its value in roughly 48 hours and traded near $4,000 before recovering over the following weeks.

Market participants noted differences between the current health event and the early 2020 pandemic. Bitcoin’s market structure has changed since 2020: approved spot exchange-traded funds now exist, a wider set of institutional holders and corporate treasuries report holdings of the asset, and regulatory and market frameworks for trading have evolved.

Some traders posted reactions on social media, including one comment that read, “For God’s sake, let BTC go up for a month without war or coronavirus.” Health authorities continue contact tracing and monitoring of passengers and crew. Investors and market observers are following updates from the WHO and national health agencies for further information on transmission and case numbers.