A suspected outbreak of the rare hantavirus on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean has left three people dead, including an elderly couple, and at least three others ill, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and South African health authorities.
In a statement to The Associated Press, WHO said an investigation was underway and that at least one case of hantavirus had been confirmed. One of the patients was in intensive care at a South African hospital, the UN health agency said, adding that it was working with authorities to evacuate two others with symptoms from the ship.
The Dutch company operating the cruise ship said the vessel was currently off the coast of Cape Verde, an island nation off Africa’s west coast. Local authorities were assisting but had not allowed anyone to disembark. It added that the two people on board requiring urgent medical care were crew members.
Two of those who died were a Dutch couple, aged 70 and 69.
South Africa’s health ministry said the man fell ill on board the ship and died on the island of Saint Helena, while his wife died at a hospital in Kempton Park, a city in South Africa.
A 69-year-old British man who also became ill on the ship was taken to a private health facility in Johannesburg, where he tested positive for hantavirus, according to the health ministry.
Hantavirus is typically contracted through contact with urine or faeces from infected rodents.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hantaviruses can cause two serious syndromes: hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which affects the lungs, and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, which affects the kidneys.
While rare, hantavirus infections can spread between people, WHO said. There is no specific treatment or cure, but early medical attention can improve the chances of survival.
“WHO is aware of and supporting a public health event involving a cruise vessel sailing in the Atlantic Ocean,” the organisation said. “Detailed investigations are ongoing, including further laboratory testing and epidemiological analysis. Medical care and support are being provided to passengers and crew, and sequencing of the virus is also underway.”
