Cruise Ship Hantavirus Outbreak: Three Deaths and Ongoing Monitoring
An outbreak of a rare illness has occurred on a cruise ship, resulting in three deaths and several individuals under observation. The MV Hondius cruise ship in Praia, Cape Verde, had two confirmed cases of hantavirus and one suspected case, prompting the evacuation of the patients and continued isolation of the remaining passengers on board.
The World Health Organization reported that three people have died from the illness, with one body still on the ship. Health officials are working to identify individuals who may have had contact with those who left the ship earlier. The outbreak is not considered the start of a global pandemic, according to the WHO's top epidemic expert, Maria Van Kerkhove.
Hantavirus cases have been recorded in the U.S., with the CDC tracking the virus since a 1993 outbreak in the Four Corners region. Nearly 900 hantavirus cases have been confirmed in the U.S. through 2023, with half of the cases reported in the Four Corners region and California. The virus is spread through contact with rodents or their urine or feces.
California officials highlight deer mice as the primary carriers of hantavirus that causes hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). Symptoms of HPS can mimic the flu, and early medical attention is crucial for survival. The virus does not typically spread between people, but there have been instances of human-to-human transmission.
Tests have confirmed that at least five individuals on the cruise ship were infected with the Andes virus, a hantavirus found in South America that can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. A flight attendant who briefly interacted with an infected cruise passenger in South Africa is showing symptoms of hantavirus and is being tested in an isolation ward in Amsterdam.
The remaining passengers and crew on the MV Hondius are currently asymptomatic, according to the ship's operator. The situation is being closely monitored by health authorities to prevent further spread of the illness.