A hantavirus outbreak suspected on a cruise vessel in the Atlantic Ocean has resulted in the deaths of three individuals and the illness of a minimum of three others, as stated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and South Africa’s Department of Health on Sunday. WHO informed The Associated Press that investigations were ongoing, confirming at least one hantavirus case. Hantavirus, which is globally prevalent, spreads through contact with rodents, their urine, or feces.
The United Nations health agency reported that one patient was receiving intensive care in a South African hospital and that efforts were underway to evacuate two other symptomatic passengers from the ship. WHO stated, “Detailed investigations, including additional laboratory tests and epidemiological inquiries, are ongoing.” Medical care and support are being extended to passengers and crew, with virus sequencing procedures also in progress.
The South African Department of Health disclosed that the outbreak transpired on the MV Hondius cruise ship, which embarked from Argentina approximately three weeks ago, heading for a voyage encompassing Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, and concluding at Spain’s Canary Islands on the opposite side of the Atlantic. The vessel, recognized by the MarineTraffic global shipping website as a Dutch-flagged passenger cruise ship, was observed docked in Praia, Cape Verde’s capital, on Sunday night.
The initial fatality was a 70-year-old male who passed away on the ship, with his body removed in Saint Helena, a British territory in the South Atlantic, according to South Africa’s Health Department. The man’s wife collapsed at a South African airport while attempting to board a flight to the Netherlands, her home country, subsequently dying at a nearby hospital.
The patient in intensive care at a Johannesburg hospital was identified as a British citizen by the department, who fell ill near Ascension Island, another remote Atlantic island, following the departure from Saint Helena and was transferred to South Africa from there.
Approximately 150 tourists were present on the ship during the outbreak, with the department noting that the Hondius typically accommodates around 70 crew members, as per several online tour operators. In parallel, South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases initiated contact tracing within the Johannesburg region to ascertain potential exposure of other individuals to the infected passengers in South Africa.
WHO highlighted that although hantavirus infections are uncommon, they can be transmitted between individuals, leading to severe respiratory complications. While no specific treatment or cure exists, prompt medical attention can enhance survival prospects.
