Two cases of hantavirus have been confirmed after three people died and a UK national was left seriously ill following a suspected outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean. The operator of the MV Hondius ship, Oceanwide Expeditions, said a Dutch husband and wife, as well as a German national, had died. Hantavirus has been confirmed in the case of the 69-year-old UK national who is in intensive care in a hospital in South Africa, and was present in the Dutch woman who died.
The causes of the deaths of the other passengers are being investigated. Hantavirus is usually spreadfrom rodents via their faeces, saliva or urine. It can cause severe respiratory illness.
As well as the UK national who has been confirmed as having hantavirus, a British crew member is among a further five suspected cases linked to the ship being investigated by the World Health Organization (WHO). The MV Hondius vessel is currently off the coast of Cape Verde and has 149 people onboard from 23 countries. “The atmosphere on board MV Hondius remains calm, with passengers generally composed,” Oceanwide Expeditions said.
[paywall]
It added there are two crew members – one British and one Dutch – are on board “with acute respiratory symptoms, one mild and one severe”, but hantavirus had not been confirmed in the pair. They both require urgent medical care, it said. No other people aboard have shown symptoms.
[/paywall]
All Zim News – Bringing you the latest news and updates.
