A dangerous hantavirus has been detected on board a cruise ship following the deaths of three passengers
This is reported by CNN and the AP.
The MV Hondius, flying the Dutch flag, set sail on a three-week cruise from Argentina, with the itinerary including visits to Antarctica, the Falkland Islands and other destinations.
A 70-year-old man from the Netherlands died suddenly on board the ship. His body was taken ashore on the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic. Subsequently, his 69-year-old wife fainted at an airport in South Africa whilst attempting to board a flight to her home country. She died at the nearest hospital.
There are now three confirmed deaths and three cases of illness. In particular, one passenger, a British national, fell ill after the ship left Saint Helena and is currently in intensive care at a hospital in Johannesburg.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), a hantavirus has been detected on board the ship — this is a viral infection carried by animals and transmitted to humans. People most commonly become infected through contact with rodents, such as rats and mice, particularly through their urine, droppings and saliva.
Hantaviruses are not usually transmitted from person to person. Only one type, the And virus, is known to be transmissible between humans, but this is rare. It occurs mainly in Chile and Argentina, from where the ship had sailed.
Hantaviruses can cause serious illnesses — haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Both of these illnesses are severe and require immediate medical attention.
While only one case of hantavirus has been confirmed so far, the WHO is investigating other reports and is working with local authorities to evacuate two other passengers with symptoms from the ship.
The cruise ship is currently anchored in Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, an island nation off the west coast of Africa. The island’s authorities have not allowed passengers to disembark to seek medical assistance, but local health authorities have visited the ship and examined the two patients, who ‘require urgent medical attention’.
In total, there are 170 passengers and 71 crew members on board, including one doctor. The company operating the cruise ship has stated that it is “currently focused on the health and safety of passengers and crew” and will provide further information as soon as it becomes available.
As a reminder, the first case of the new ‘Cicada’ coronavirus strain was recorded in Ukraine at the end of April.
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