3 dead, 4 others sickened in cruise ship hantavirus outbreak
Three people have died and four others have been infected or are suspected of having hantavirus in an outbreak aboard a Dutch-flagged cruise ship now moored off Cabo Verde, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). One passenger remains in intensive care.
The cluster was reported to WHO on May 2 after several passengers developed severe respiratory illness during a South Atlantic voyage that began in Ushuaia, Argentina. The ship is carrying 147 passengers and crew members from 23 nationalities.
As of Monday, WHO said two cases had been confirmed by laboratory testing and five others were suspected. The illnesses began between April 6 and April 28 and included fever, gastrointestinal symptoms, pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome and shock.
The ship left Argentina on April 1 and traveled through remote parts of the South Atlantic, including Antarctica, South Georgia, Nightingale Island, Tristan da Cunha, Saint Helena and Ascension Island. Officials have not determined where the passengers were exposed, including whether they came into contact with wildlife during the voyage or before boarding.
The first known case was an adult man who developed fever, headache and mild diarrhea on April 6 while aboard the ship. He developed respiratory distress five days later and died on board. His body was removed to Saint Helena on April 24.
A woman who had close contact with him became ill and went ashore at Saint Helena on April 24 with gastrointestinal symptoms. She deteriorated during a flight to Johannesburg the next day and died after arriving at a hospital. WHO said her infection was later confirmed by PCR testing.
A third passenger, an adult man, became ill on April 24 with fever, shortness of breath and signs of pneumonia. His condition worsened two days later, and he was evacuated from Ascension Island to South Africa on April 27. He remains hospitalized in an intensive care unit after testing confirmed hantavirus.
WHO said a fourth case, an adult woman who had pneumonia, died on May 2 after developing symptoms on April 28. Three other suspected cases, involving passengers with high fever and/or gastrointestinal symptoms, remain on board and are being evaluated by medical teams in Cabo Verde.
Passengers have been advised to practice maximum physical distancing and remain in their cabins where possible.
WHO said authorities in Cabo Verde, the Netherlands, Spain, South Africa and the United Kingdom are coordinating the response, including case isolation, medical evacuation, laboratory testing and contact tracing.
Hantavirus is a rare but potentially deadly infection usually acquired through contact with the urine, droppings or saliva of infected rodents. People can become infected after touching contaminated surfaces or breathing in particles from rodent-contaminated areas.
The illness can begin with fever, headache, chills, muscle pain and gastrointestinal symptoms before rapidly progressing to breathing problems and low blood pressure. There is no specific treatment or vaccine, but early intensive supportive care can improve survival.
WHO said the risk to the global population is currently low. Although hantavirus is not usually transmitted between people, limited person-to-person spread has been reported in previous outbreaks involving Andes virus, a type found in South America.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
