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The World Health Organization announced on May 3 that three people aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic have died from suspected hantavirus infection, a rodent-borne virus that can cause a potentially fatal respiratory disease.
“To date, one case of hantavirus infection has been laboratory-confirmed and five additional cases are suspected,” the group announced on X. “Three of the six infected people have died and one is currently in intensive care in South Africa.”
In a statement provided to USA TODAY, Netherlands-based expedition cruise company Oceanwide Expeditions said it was dealing with a “serious medical situation” aboard the m/v Hondius. The ship was on its way from Argentina to Cape Verde, an island nation off the west coast of Africa.
“Three passengers died during this voyage,” the operator said in a statement. “Two of these deaths occurred on board and one occurred after disembarking. Additionally, one passenger is currently in intensive care in Johannesburg and two people on board require critical treatment.”
Two Dutch passengers were killed, Reuters reported, citing a spokesperson for the Dutch Foreign Ministry. No further details were disclosed.
Oceanwide Expeditions said the cause of the infection was under investigation, but noted that a strain of hantavirus had been identified in a passenger who was medically evacuated from the cruise ship.
Oceanwide Expeditions said: “At this stage, it has not been established whether hantavirus is associated with the three deaths associated with this voyage.” “Hantavirus has not been confirmed in the two symptomatic individuals currently on board.”
According to Reuters, the WHO said it was investigating the outbreak.
How is hantavirus transmitted?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes hantaviruses as a family of viruses that can cause serious illness and death. The agency said hantaviruses are primarily transmitted through exposure to rodent urine, feces and saliva, and less commonly through scratches and bites.
The World Health Organization says: “Although rare, hantaviruses can spread from person to person and can cause serious respiratory illness, requiring careful patient monitoring, support and response.”
What happens if I get infected with hantavirus?
The CDC said hantaviruses can cause two syndromes. One is hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), which affects the lungs, and the other is renal hemorrhagic fever syndrome (HFRS), which affects the kidneys.
Symptoms of HPS include fatigue, fever, muscle aches, headache, dizziness, chills, and abdominal illness, followed by cough, shortness of breath, and sometimes “a feeling of tightness in the chest as the lungs fill with fluid,” according to the CDC.
Symptoms of HFRS include severe headache, back or abdominal pain, fever, chills, nausea, blurred vision, facial flushing, redness or irritation of the eyes, and rash, which can be followed by low blood pressure, acute shock due to decreased blood flow, internal bleeding, and “acute renal failure that can cause severe fluid overload,” the CDC said.
The World Health Organization did not specify the type or syndrome of hantavirus in the cruise accident, but did note the respiratory risks.
The CDC said HPS can be fatal for 38% of people who develop respiratory symptoms. According to the CDC, the fatality rate for HFRS ranges from less than 1% to up to 15%, depending on the specific virus involved.
Contributor: Charles Ventura, USA TODAY. Reuters
