Three passengers die in suspected hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 3
Three passengers die in suspected hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship
18 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 3
WHO said one infection was confirmed and five suspected on MV Hondius, sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde; one 69-year-old Briton was in intensive care in Johannesburg.
South African and Dutch officials said two dead passengers were a 70-year-old man and his 69-year-old wife, while a third body remained onboard and two more symptomatic passengers awaited possible evacuation.
The Dutch-operated vessel was near Praia, Cape Verde, on Sunday; WHO is coordinating with national authorities as hantavirus, usually linked to rodent exposure, can in rare cases spread between people.
Could the MV Hondius outbreak signal a new risk of person-to-person hantavirus transmission on cruise ships, challenging current public health protocols?
What environmental or operational factors might have allowed a deadly hantavirus outbreak, despite strict cleaning and health measures on board?