After a suspected Hantavirus outbreak on the M/V Hondius cruise ship that killed three people and sickened three others, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on the 4th of May that the risk to the public was low, Politico reports.
The WHO has confirmed one case of Hantavirus on the cruise ship and five more are suspected. Hantavirus is a rodent-borne disease that can cause life-threatening respiratory problems.
Dutch cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions said one of the infected people is currently in intensive care in Johannesburg, and two other crew members required emergency medical treatment. Reuters reports that the first patient, a Dutch man, died on the 11th of April as the ship headed for the Tritan de Cunha Islands, and his remains remained on board until the 24th of April, when they were taken to St. Helena for repatriation. The deceased’s wife fell ill three days after disembarking on St. Helena and later died. The third patient, a Briton, was evacuated to Johannesburg in serious condition. South African authorities confirmed that the Briton had tested positive for the Hanta virus. The Dutch woman who died also tested positive.
The third deceased is a German citizen, but the cause of his death has not yet been confirmed.
A trip on the M/V Hondius, which is advertised as an Antarctic nature expedition, costs between 14,000 and 22,000 euros per person. The ship set sail from the port of Ushuaia in southern Argentina in March and passed Antarctica, the Falklands, South Georgia and other island groups before reaching Cape Verde waters on the 3rd of May.
Politico reports that the ship was en route to the Canary Islands, but is currently anchored off the coast of Cape Verde, according to the WHO. Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO’s regional director for Europe, said on the 4th of May that the agency was acting with urgency and was working with all countries involved to provide support for medical care, evacuations, investigations and public health assessments. He added, however, that the risk was low and there was no need to panic or impose travel restrictions.
Hantavirus is usually contracted through contact with the feces or urine of infected rodents, and human-to-human transmission of the virus is very rare.
The Dutch Foreign Ministry has said it is considering evacuating some passengers for medical reasons, but for now the ship’s owner is responsible for providing the passengers with the necessary medical care.
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