An outbreak of hantavirus aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius has taken a surprising twist. World Health Organization officials have now acknowledged the possibility that people are spreading the virus, which is normally transmitted through contact with infected rodents or their droppings. Maria Van Kerkhove, head of the Emerging Diseases and Zoonoses unit at WHO, provided the latest updates on the outbreak this morning. There are now seven confirmed or suspected cases, at least one of which is linked to contact with an infected person. Despite this discovery, however, officials say the risk to the general public remains low. “We do believe that there may be some human-to-human transmission that is happening among the really close contacts,” Kerkhove said at the media briefing. A Clearer Timeline The WHO first confirmed the outbreak this past weekend.…