Two cases of hantavirus have been confirmed after three people died and another was left seriously ill in a suspected outbreak onboard a cruise ship crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
A Dutch husband and wife and a German passenger died, with the Dutch woman testing positive for the virus, the MV Hondius ship’s operator Oceanwide Expeditions said.
The rare virus was also confirmed in a 69-year-old British national who was evacuated to a hospital in South Africa for intensive care.
Two crew members – one British and one Dutch – with unconfirmed cases and a close contact of the German national are due to be evacuated from the ship, which is currently anchored near Cape Verde, off Africa’s west coast.
The vessel was due to dock in Cape Verde on Tuesday but local authorities have barred passengers from disembarking on safety grounds.
Some 149 people from 23 countries remain on the MV Hondius under “strict precautionary measures”, including isolation and hygiene protocols, Oceanwide Expeditions said. According to reports, among them is a Greek national.
They have travelled more than 6,000 miles at sea after setting sail from Argentina around a month ago.
Hantavirus is usually spread from rodents via their faeces, saliva or urine. It can cause severe respiratory illness. It is rarely transmitted between people.
So far, the virus has only been confirmed in the case of the Dutch woman who died and the UK national in hospital in Johannesburg. The cause of death of the other passengers is being investigated.
The Dutch man died while the ship was at sea last month. His wife later passed away upon arrival at a hospital in Johannesburg, having flown there from the island of St Helena where she disembarked the vessel.
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