There are two Belgians on board the cruise ship MV Hondius, operated by the Dutch shipping company Oceanwide Expeditions, on which three passengers have died. Those three people may have died as a result of the hantavirus.
A day after it emerged that three people (two Dutch nationals and a German passenger) died on an Oceanwide Expeditions cruise ship, the Dutch company provided further information about the situation on board.
On Monday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that there may be seven cases of hantavirus infection on the ship, BBC and Reuters report. Two cases have already been confirmed by a laboratory, including that of a 69-year-old Dutch woman.
The WHO also states that one person is seriously ill and three others have mild symptoms.
At present, there are still 149 people on board the ship, which is currently off the coast of Cape Verde. The passenger list also includes two Belgians. Most of the passengers on the cruise ship are British (19), American (17) and Spanish (13).
There are also two crew members on board exhibiting "acute respiratory symptoms". Both require urgent medical attention. At present, no other individuals have been identified as having symptoms, according to the shipping company.
On 27 April, another passenger – a 69-year-old British man – fell seriously ill on board. The man was taken to a hospital in South Africa. There, he was diagnosed with the rare hantavirus. He is currently reported to be in "a critical but stable condition".
The ship is currently anchored off the Cape Verdean capital, Praia, but passengers are not allowed to disembark. The Dutch cruise company Oceanwide Expeditions is considering sailing to Gran Canaria or Tenerife. There, passengers would be able to leave the ship for medical tests.
Hantaviruses form a family of viruses that are primarily spread by rodents, often through direct or indirect contact with their urine, faeces or saliva. There are several variants.
In Europe and Asia, the variant that usually occurs primarily affects the kidneys and has a lower mortality rate. The variant likely found on the MV Hondius is more dangerous and can cause severe lung infections. Human-to-human transmission is rare, but cannot be ruled out.
There is no specific treatment, although early medical care can significantly increase the chances of survival.
