Three die after suspected hantavirus outbreak on Atlantic cruise ship
BBC • • general
Key Points:
- Three people have died following a suspected Hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde, with one confirmed case and five more suspected.
- The first victim, a 70-year-old passenger, died on board and his body is now on Saint Helena; his 69-year-old wife also died after evacuation to South Africa.
- A 69-year-old British passenger is currently in intensive care in Johannesburg, South Africa.
- Hantavirus is typically transmitted through contact with rodent excreta but can rarely spread between people, causing severe respiratory illness.
- The WHO is coordinating medical evacuations, conducting a public health risk assessment, and supporting those still on board the MV Hondius, which accommodates up to 170 passengers.
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