Three people have died and five others have fallen ill following a suspected hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius. The virus, carried by rodents and capable of causing a severe respiratory illness, emerged while the ship was sailing off the coast of Cape Verde in the Atlantic Ocean, west of Africa.
The MV Hondius, which departed from Argentina with 150 passengers, experienced a suspected rodent-borne hantavirus outbreak. According to the latest reports, three passengers have died. Concerns are increasing due to the long incubation period associated with hantavirus-related illness.
The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that three people have died in the outbreak. Among the deceased are a Dutch couple aged 70 and 69. Efforts are ongoing to repatriate their bodies, while the third victim’s body remains on board the ship.
The cruise company stated that two crew members require urgent medical care but were not permitted to disembark in Cape Verde for treatment.
A 69-year-old British national is currently receiving intensive care treatment in Johannesburg, South Africa. This individual is the only confirmed case of hantavirus so far. The WHO reported that one case has been laboratory-confirmed, while five additional suspected cases are under investigation.
There is also a possibility that some passengers may have been infected before boarding the ship.
The WHO made the following statement last night:
“The WHO is aware of and supporting a public health event involving a cruise ship sailing in the Atlantic Ocean. To date, one case of hantavirus infection has been laboratory-confirmed, with five additional suspected cases. Of the six affected individuals, three have died and one is currently in intensive care in South Africa.”