Suspected Hantavirus Outbreak on Atlantic Cruise
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Geneva: The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed Sunday that three people have died following a suspected hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship.
The vessel was travelling from Argentina to Cape Verde when the illness, typically spread by rodents, was detected. Currently, one case has been laboratory-confirmed, while five other passengers are considered suspected cases.
Tragically, three of the six affected individuals have died. Among the deceased are a 70-year-old passenger who died on board and his 69-year-old wife who passed away in a Johannesburg hospital. A third passenger, a 69-year-old British national, remains in intensive care.
WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated the agency is coordinating medical evacuations and conducting a full risk assessment to protect those remaining on the ship.
While human-to-human transmission is rare, hantaviruses can cause severe respiratory illness and haemorrhagic fever. The ship, carrying roughly 170 passengers and 70 crew, is currently stationed off the port of Praia.
Photo Credits: AFP
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