Three passengers on the cruise ship m/v Hondius died after suspected hantavirus infections, leading the WHO and health authorities to launch an investigation into the outbreak.
Three people who were aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean have died of suspected infections of hantavirus, a rodent-borne virus that can cause fatal respiratory illness, the World Health Organisation said on May 3.
“To date, one case of hantavirus infection has been laboratory confirmed, and there are five additional suspected cases,” the organisation announced on X. “Of the six affected individuals, three have died, and one is currently in intensive care in South Africa.”
In a statement provided to USA TODAY, Netherlands-based expedition cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions said it was addressing a “serious medical situation” on board m/v Hondius. The ship was en route from Argentina to Cape Verde, an island nation off Africa’s west coast.
“During this voyage, three passengers have passed away,” the operator said in the statement. “Two of these deaths occurred on board the vessel, and one occurred after disembarkation. In addition, one passenger is currently being treated in intensive care in Johannesburg, and two individuals on board require urgent medical care.”
Reuters, citing a Dutch Foreign Ministry spokesperson, reported that two Dutch passengers died. No further details were provided.
Oceanwide Expeditions said the cause of the infections is under investigation, but noted that a strain of the hantavirus was identified in one passenger who was medically evacuated from the cruise ship.
“At this stage, it has not been established whether hantavirus is linked to the three deaths connected to this voyage,” Oceanwide Expeditions said. “Hantavirus has not been confirmed in the two symptomatic individuals currently on board.”
WHO said it was investigating the outbreak, Reuters reported.
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How is hantavirus transmitted?
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention describes hantaviruses as a family of viruses that can cause serious illnesses and death. The agency said hantavirus is primarily spread by rodents through exposure to their urine, droppings, or saliva, and less commonly through a scratch or bite.
“While rare, hantavirus may spread between people, and can lead to severe respiratory illness and requires careful patient monitoring, support and response,” according to the World Health Organisation.
What happens when you have hantavirus?
The CDC said hantaviruses can cause two syndromes — hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), which affects the lungs, or hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), which affects the kidneys.
HPS symptoms can include fatigue, fever, muscle aches, headaches, dizziness, chills, and abdominal problems, followed later by coughing, shortness of breath, and possible “tightness in the chest as the lungs fill with fluid,” according to the CDC.
The CDC said HFRS symptoms may include intense headaches, back and abdominal pain, fever, chills, nausea, blurred vision, a flushed face, eye redness or inflammation, and a rash, followed later by low blood pressure, acute shock from reduced blood flow, internal bleeding, and “acute kidney failure, which can cause severe fluid overload.”
The World Health Organisation did not specify the type of hantavirus or syndrome in this cruise incident, but did mention respiratory risks.
The CDC said HPS may be fatal for 38% of people who develop respiratory symptoms. According to the CDC, the fatality rate for HFRS ranges from fewer than 1% to as high as 15%, depending on the specific virus involved.
Credit: Charles Ventura, USA TODAY; Reuters
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