What is hantavirus, the illness suspected to have killed several people on an Atlantic cruise ship?
Summary
A Dutch cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean is dealing with a suspected hantavirus outbreak that has killed three passengers and seriously sickened at least three others. Health authorities, including the World Health Organization, are investigating the cases aboard the ship near Cape Verde.Key Facts
- The ship had nearly 150 people onboard, including 17 Americans.
- Hantavirus is a rare illness primarily spread by contact with rodents or their urine, saliva, or droppings.
- The virus can become airborne when rodent waste is disturbed and inhaled.
- Symptoms start like the flu, with fever, chills, and muscle aches, but can quickly become severe, causing lung problems and fluid buildup.
- Hantavirus has two main types: hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (lung-related) and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (kidney-related).
- The disease was first identified in the U.S. Southwest in the 1990s after outbreaks in rural areas.
- Transmission between people is very rare but possible.
- The WHO is conducting lab tests, virus sequencing, and detailed investigations to confirm and understand the outbreak on the ship.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.