3 dead on cruise ship in Atlantic Ocean, 1 with rare disease Hantavirus
Three people have died on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean. At least one of the dead has been confirmed to have the rare disease ‘Hantavirus’, which is transmitted by rats.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a possible outbreak of Hantavirus is being investigated on the MV Hondius cruise ship, which is sailing from Ushuaia, Argentina, to Cape Verde.
In a public statement on Sunday, the WHO said that one person has been confirmed infected and at least five more passengers are suspected of being infected.
‘Of the six affected, three have died and one is being treated in an intensive care unit (ICU) in South Africa,’ the statement said.
According to the WHO, additional laboratory tests and epidemiological investigations are ongoing. The necessary health care and support are being provided to passengers and crew, and the gene sequencing of the virus is also being carried out. It also said it was coordinating with countries to rescue two other passengers who were showing symptoms.
Hantavirus is a rare disease transmitted to humans through the feces or urine of infected rats. In severe cases, it can cause hemorrhagic fever and even death.
Couple also died
South Africa’s health ministry had earlier reported an outbreak of “severe acute respiratory disease” on Sunday, with at least two deaths. A third person was being treated in an intensive care unit in Johannesburg, AFP reported.
Ministry spokesman Foster Mohale said the patient, who was being treated in Johannesburg, had tested positive for hantavirus.
The first person to show symptoms was a 70-year-old man who died on board the ship. His body is currently being held on the British territory of St. Helena in the South Atlantic.
His 69-year-old wife was also taken to South Africa after falling ill, where she died in a hospital in Johannesburg, Mohale said.
The nationalities of the deceased have not yet been confirmed, but the patient in the ICU is a 69-year-old British citizen, AFP reported.
