Three people have died in a suspected hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius, a cruise ship anchored off Praia, Cape Verde, while the World Health Organization said it had confirmed one case and identified at least five more suspected infections on board. [1, 2, 3]
The vessel left Ushuaia, Argentina, about three weeks earlier and was sailing to Cape Verde, with plans to possibly continue to the Canary Islands for disembarkation. [1, 4, 2] The ship has about 149 people on board, including 88 passengers and 61 crew from 23 nationalities. [1, 3]
A 69-year-old British man is in intensive care in Johannesburg after testing positive for hantavirus, while two crew members are also ill and need urgent medical care but have not been allowed to disembark in Cape Verde. [1, 4, 2, 3] WHO said it was coordinating investigations, further laboratory testing, virus sequencing and evacuations for affected passengers and crew. [1, 4, 2, 3]
The first confirmed fatality was a 70-year-old Dutch man who developed symptoms on April 11 and died onboard with fever, headache, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. [1, 2, 3] His body was later taken off the vessel and transferred to Saint Helena for repatriation. [3] The dead also included his 69-year-old Dutch wife, who was evacuated to South Africa and died in a Johannesburg hospital, and a third Dutch passenger whose body is awaiting repatriation. [1, 3]
Hantavirus is a rare virus usually spread from rodents to humans and can cause severe respiratory illness. [2, 5] The incubation period can range from 1 to 8 weeks, a window that leaves open the possibility of more cases among people exposed on the voyage. [1]
The WHO said on May 3 and 4 that it had confirmed one case, recorded five suspected infections and counted three deaths on board. [1, 4, 2] The next steps are further tests, sequencing and medical evacuations for those still aboard the vessel. [1, 4, 2, 3]
