How hantavirus may have spread aboard a cruise ship
Summary
A suspected hantavirus outbreak has occurred on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, with about 150 people still onboard and three deaths reported. Health officials are investigating how the virus spread, including the possibility of limited person-to-person transmission among close contacts.Key Facts
- Hantavirus usually spreads through contact with infected rodent waste, but some strains can spread between people through close contact.
- The cruise ship, MV Hondius, started in Argentina and stopped at several African islands during a polar expedition.
- A man and his wife died from suspected hantavirus; the wife’s blood tested positive in South Africa after leaving the ship.
- A British passenger evacuated to South Africa also tested positive and is critically ill.
- There are at least four other suspected cases, including another death on board.
- Health teams are performing an investigation, quarantine, and contact tracing on the ship.
- The World Health Organization is involved in efforts to stop further spread.
- The virus strain involved may be the Andes virus, known for occasional human-to-human transmission but not pandemic spread.
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