May 3 (Reuters) – Three people have died and three others are hospitalized after a cruise ship based in the Netherlands experienced a suspected hantavirus outbreak, a virus carried by rodents that can cause severe respi...
May 3 (Reuters) – Three people have died and three others are hospitalized after a cruise ship based in the Netherlands experienced a suspected hantavirus outbreak, a virus carried by rodents that can cause severe respiratory illness, according to authorities and media reports on Sunday.
Oceanwide Expeditions, the company operating the cruise, stated in a press release that they are dealing with a "serious medical situation" aboard the MV Hondius, a polar expedition ship located off the coast of Cape Verde, an island nation in the Atlantic Ocean west of Africa.
The cruise began in Argentina about three weeks ago, carrying approximately 150 passengers, and included stops in Antarctica and other locations before reaching Cape Verde.
A spokesperson from the Dutch Foreign Ministry confirmed that two Dutch passengers have died, but provided no additional details.
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced in a post on X that one of the sick passengers is currently in intensive care in South Africa. Sky News reported that this passenger is British, citing information from South Africa's Department of Health.
WHO stated that it is investigating the outbreak, noting that lab tests have confirmed hantavirus in one of the six affected individuals.
Oceanwide Expeditions mentioned that Cape Verde authorities have not allowed passengers needing medical treatment to disembark. Meanwhile, Dutch authorities are working to arrange the repatriation of two symptomatic passengers along with the body of one deceased passenger.
Hantavirus can spread when rodent droppings and urine become airborne, for example, when someone cleans areas where mice have been present. The WHO indicated that human-to-human transmission is rare.
The illness starts with flu-like symptoms and can progress to heart and lung failure, with around 40% of cases resulting in death, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There are no specific medications for treating hantavirus; care focuses on supportive measures, which may include putting patients on ventilators in severe cases.
“WHO is coordinating efforts between member states and the ship’s operators for the medical evacuation of two symptomatic passengers, as well as conducting a full public health assessment and providing support to the remaining passengers on board,” stated the WHO.
The British Foreign Office and South Africa’s Department of Health did not respond to requests for comments immediately.