A suspected outbreak of hantavirus on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean has killed three people, including a Dutch couple, and sickened at least three others, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and South Africa's health department.
The WHO confirmed at least one case of hantavirus on the MV Hondius, which was travelling from Argentina to Cape Verde. One patient is in intensive care in a South African hospital, and authorities are working to evacuate two others with symptoms from the ship.
The deceased include a 70-year-old man and his 69-year-old wife from the Netherlands. The man died on Saint Helena, while his wife died in a South African hospital. A third fatality, a British man aged 69, tested positive for hantavirus and died in a private health facility in Johannesburg.
Hantavirus is typically transmitted through contact with rodent urine or faeces. It can cause severe lung or kidney disease, and 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, remains off the coast of Cape Verde. Two crew members require urgent medical care, but local authorities have not authorised disembarkation. Dutch authorities are coordinating repatriation of the symptomatic individuals and the deceased.
