3 Passengers Dead and 3 Ill in Cruise Ship Hantavirus Outbreak
A fatal hantavirus outbreak has struck the MV Hondius cruise liner off the coast of Cape Verde, leaving three people dead and a further three severely unwell, Reuters reports.
Carrying 150 passengers, the Dutch-operated vessel set sail from Argentina three weeks ago and visited Antarctica before heading towards West Africa.
Authorities in the Netherlands confirmed two of the fatalities are Dutch citizens. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) verified at least one hantavirus case via laboratory testing. A separate patient, reportedly a British national, is currently undergoing intensive care in South Africa.
Local officials in Cape Verde have refused to let the sick travellers step ashore for treatment. Consequently, the Dutch government is urgently trying to arrange the medical evacuation of two symptomatic individuals and the repatriation of one victim’s body.
Usually contracted by inhaling airborne particles from rodent waste, hantavirus triggers rapid respiratory failure. The disease carries a mortality rate of roughly 40% and lacks a targeted cure, meaning medical staff must rely on ventilators to keep critical patients alive.
The WHO is currently coordinating with international health agencies to assess the immediate public health risk to the remaining holidaymakers trapped on board the ship.
