Three passengers have died and a Briton is fighting for his life in intensive care after a suspected Hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, the World Health Organization has confirmed to the BBC.
One case of the virus has been formally confirmed on board the MV Hondius, with five further suspected cases now under investigation. The WHO has classified the outbreak as a “public health event” and is co-ordinating an international response.
The vessel, operated by Dutch tour firm Oceanwide Expeditions, had been making its way from Argentina to Cape Verde when passengers began falling ill. According to the itinerary published on the company’s website, the MV Hondius set sail from the southern Argentine port of Ushuaia on 20 March, with the voyage due to conclude in Cape Verde on 4 May.
The first passenger to show symptoms was a 70-year-old man, who died while still on board, South African authorities told the BBC. His body has since been taken to Saint Helena, the remote British territory in the South Atlantic. His 69-year-old wife also became unwell during the voyage and was evacuated to South Africa, where she later died in a hospital in Johannesburg.
A 69-year-old British national is also understood to have been flown to Johannesburg for emergency treatment and is currently being cared for in intensive care.
Foster Mohale, a spokesperson for South Africa’s health ministry, had earlier told the BBC that at least two people had died in connection with the outbreak before the third fatality was confirmed.
Hantavirus infections are typically contracted through environmental exposure — most commonly through contact with the urine, droppings or saliva of infected rodents. Although human-to-human transmission is rare, it can occur, and the illness can develop into a serious respiratory condition.
The MV Hondius is described by Oceanwide Expeditions as a 107.6-metre (353ft) polar cruise ship with capacity for 170 people across 80 cabins.
The WHO told the BBC it was working with member states and the ship’s operators to arrange the medical evacuation of two further passengers who are showing symptoms. The agency added that it was carrying out a full public health risk assessment and providing support to those who remain on board.
