3 dead after hantavirus outbreak on Atlantic cruise ship

Three people have died after a hantavirus outbreak linked to an expedition cruise ship traveling from South America to Africa, according to the World Health Organization and media reports. One passenger is being treated in intensive care in South Africa.

The cases have been reported on the MV Hondius, an expedition vessel operated by Dutch-based tour company Oceanwide Expeditions. The ship left Ushuaia, Argentina, on March 20 and is expected to end its trip in Cape Verde on May 4.

The WHO told AFP that one hantavirus infection has been confirmed by laboratory testing and five additional cases are suspected. Of the six people affected, three have died and one is in intensive care.

South African authorities told the BBC that the first person to develop symptoms was a 70-year-old passenger who died on board the ship. His body is now on Saint Helena, a British territory in the South Atlantic.

His 69-year-old wife also became ill during the voyage and was evacuated to South Africa, where she died at a hospital in Johannesburg, the BBC reported. A source close to the case told AFP that a Dutch couple were among those who died.

A 69-year-old British man has also been evacuated to Johannesburg and is being treated in intensive care.

The WHO said it was helping coordinate with national authorities and the ship’s operators to arrange the medical evacuation of two passengers with symptoms.

The MV Hondius can carry about 170 passengers and has about 70 crew members, according to AFP.

Hantaviruses are a family of viruses usually spread by infected rodents through urine, droppings or saliva. People can become infected after breathing in contaminated particles, and severe cases can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare but serious illness that can lead to respiratory failure.