A suspected outbreak of the rare hantavirus infection on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean has killed three people, including an elderly Dutch couple, and sickened at least three others, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and South Africa’s health department have confirmed.
The WHO said an investigation was under way, with at least one case of hantavirus confirmed. One patient is in intensive care in a South African hospital, and the UN agency is working with authorities to evacuate two others with symptoms from the ship, the MV Hondius, which was travelling between Argentina and Cape Verde.
The South African health ministry reported that a 70-year-old Dutch man died on the island of Saint Helena, while his 69-year-old wife died at a hospital in Kempton Park, South Africa. A third unidentified person also died, and a 69-year-old British man who fell ill on the ship tested positive for hantavirus and is being treated in Johannesburg.
Hantavirus is usually caught through contact with rodent urine or faeces and can cause severe lung or kidney disease. While rare, human-to-human transmission is possible. There is no specific treatment, but early medical care improves survival chances.
The ship, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, is carrying about 170 passengers and 70 crew. Two symptomatic crew members remain onboard awaiting medical evacuation, as Cape Verdean authorities have not authorised disembarkation. The company is coordinating repatriation to the Netherlands with Dutch authorities.
