A British tourist is in a critical but stable condition in intensive care in South Africa following a suspected hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship sailing through the Atlantic Ocean, tour company Oceanwide Expeditions has confirmed.
Three people have died and at least three others are ill, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said in a statement to The Associated Press. The UN agency also confirmed that an investigation has been launched and at least one case of hantavirus has been identified.
The suspected outbreak was reported on the Dutch-flagged passenger cruise ship MV Hondius, which was travelling from Argentina to Cape Verde. The British passenger became seriously ill and was medically evacuated to South Africa on April 27, where they are being treated in the intensive care unit in Johannesburg, Oceanwide Expeditions said on Monday.
They are in a critical but stable condition and a variant of hantavirus has been identified in this patient, the tour company added. As of Monday afternoon, the ship remains off the coast of Cape Verde, with 149 people on board, including 19 British passengers and four British crew members.
There are two crew members on board, of British and Dutch nationality, with acute respiratory symptoms, one mild and one severe, Oceanwide Expeditions said. It added that both require urgent medical care, and at this time, no one else with symptoms has been identified. Hantavirus has not currently been confirmed in the two people still on board who require medical care, nor has it been established that the virus is connected to the three deaths associated with the voyage, the tour operator stated.
Investigation and Response
The cruise operator said the disembarkation of passengers, medical evacuation and medical screening require permission from, and coordination with, the local health authorities, who have visited the vessel and assessed the situation. The ship's journey began on April 1, and a passenger died on board on April 11. The cause of death could not be determined on board. On April 24, this passenger was disembarked on St Helena, with his wife accompanying the repatriation.
On April 27, Oceanwide Expeditions was informed that the wife had become unwell during the return journey and had later died. Both passengers were Dutch nationals. On May 2, a German passenger on board died. The cause has not yet been established, the tour operator said.
Hantavirus Details
Hantavirus infections, which are usually spread by infected rodents' urine or faeces, can lead to severe respiratory illness and can sometimes be fatal. A spokesperson for the UK's Foreign Office said: 'We are closely monitoring reports of a potential hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship Hondius and stand ready to support British nationals if needed. We are in touch with the cruise company and local authorities.'
The WHO said: 'Detailed investigations are ongoing, including further laboratory testing, and epidemiological investigations. Medical care and support are being provided to passengers and crew. Sequencing of the virus is also ongoing.' The risk to the wider public remains low, according to Hans Henri P Kluge, the WHO regional director for Europe. He added that there is 'no need for panic or travel restrictions'.
While it is rare, hantavirus infections can spread between people, according to the WHO. There is no specific treatment or cure but patients have a better chance of survival if they receive medical attention early. Preparations are being made for possible medical repatriation and next steps. The option of sailing on to Las Palmas or Tenerife is being considered as a gateway for disembarkation, where further medical screening and handling could take place, Oceanwide Expeditions said.
'Strict precautionary measures' are in place on board, including isolation measures, hygiene protocols and medical monitoring. Actor Gene Hackman's wife died from hantavirus infection last year. Betsy Arakawa, 65, had fluid accumulation in her chest and mild hardening of the vessels that supplied blood to the heart and body, and her lungs were heavy and congested, according to a post-mortem examination report. Hackman, 95, died about a week after his wife but examinations confirmed he tested negative for hantavirus and the main cause of his death was heart disease.
