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The World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed that three people died in a suspected hantavirus outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius.
The ship was travelling from Ushuaia, Argentina, to Cape Verde in the Atlantic Ocean.
According to the WHO, one of the deaths was a confirmed case of hantavirus, an illness usually transmitted to humans from rodents.
“To date, one case of hantavirus infection has been laboratory confirmed, and there are five additional suspected cases,” the World Health Organisation told AFP.
“Of the six affected individuals, three have died and one is currently in intensive care in South Africa.”
Humans can catch hantaviruses from contact with infected mice or rats, or from their droppings, or from being bitten or inhaling contaminated dust. There are multiple types of hantaviruses worldwide, each with different symptoms.
The South African health ministry had earlier told AFP that there had been an outbreak of a “severe acute respiratory illness”, which had killed at least two people, with a third in intensive care in Johannesburg.
The patient treated in Johannesburg tested positive for a hantavirus, a family of viruses that can cause hemorrhagic fever, South African spokesperson Foster Mohale said.
Hantavirus infections are typically linked to environmental exposure (exposure to infected rodents’ urine or faeces), according to the WHO.
“While rare, hantavirus may spread between people, and can lead to severe respiratory illness and requires careful patient monitoring, support and response.”
The first person on the cruise to develop symptoms was a 70-year-old passenger who died on board the ship. His body was currently on the island of Saint Helena, a British territory in the South Atlantic.
His 69-year-old wife also fell ill on board and was evacuated to South Africa, where she died in a Johannesburg hospital, he said, adding that they were not yet able to confirm the victims’ nationalities.
The third case, a 69-year-old Briton, was also evacuated to Johannesburg, where he was being treated in intensive care.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X that the agency was working with the ship’s operators and the affected member states.
“WHO is facilitating medical evacuation of two symptomatic passengers, conducting a full risk assessment, and supporting affected people onboard,” he added.
“Rapid, coordinated action is critical to contain risks and protect public health.”
