Gerald Imray
Cape Town, South Africa: A suspected virus outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean has killed three people and sickened at least three others, the World Health Organisation says.
In a statement, the WHO said an investigation was under way but that at least one case of hantavirus had been confirmed. Hantavirus, found throughout the world, is spread by contact with rodents or their urine or faeces.
One of the patients was in intensive care in a South African hospital, the UN’s health agency said, adding that it was working with authorities to evacuate two other passengers with symptoms from the ship.
“Detailed investigations are ongoing, including further laboratory testing, and epidemiological investigations,” WHO said. “Medical care and support are being provided to passengers and crew. Sequencing of the virus is also ongoing.”
While the WHO didn’t identify the vessel, media reports said the outbreak happened on the MV Hondius cruise ship, which was sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde off the coast of West Africa.
The London Telegraph identified one of those in intensive care as a 69-year-old British tourist, while an anonymous source close to the case told the AFP news agency that a Dutch couple were among the dead, the paper said.
South African media, quoting South African Health Department spokesperson Foster Mohale, said the first victim, an elderly man, died on the ship, and his wife later died in a South African hospital.
The BBC reported that a third fatality was still on board, and authorities were deciding whether two other sick passengers should be placed in isolation in hospital in Cape Verde.
The ship would then reportedly continue to Spain’s Canary Islands.
Rare infection
Hantavirus infections are typically linked to exposure to the faeces or urine of infected rodents, WHO said. While rare, the WHO said they can be spread between people, and they can lead to severe respiratory illness.
There is no specific treatment or cure, but early medical attention can increase the chance of survival.
According to the Telegraph, the Hondius set off from Ushuaia in southern Argentina in late March, stopping at several islands in the Antarctic Peninsula. The cruise, which costs about $18,000 per person, is popular with bird watchers.
The MarineTraffic ship tracking website identified the vessel as a Dutch-flagged passenger cruise ship. It was shown as docked in Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, on Sunday night (UK time).
The MV Hondius is described as a 107.6-metre polar cruise ship, hosting 170 passengers in 80 cabins, along with 57 crew members, 13 guides and a doctor.
Hantavirus was in the news after the late actor Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, died from hantavirus infection in New Mexico last year. Hackman died a week later at their home.
AP
Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter.
