WHO identifies 7 cases of hantavirus on Dutch cruise ship

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified seven cases of hantavirus on a Dutch cruise ship. Two of the cases have been confirmed and five are suspected. 

Two confirmed cases of hantavirus 

On May 2, the WHO received reports of a number of passengers with severe illness on board the cruise ship MS Hondius. The ship run by Dutch company Oceanwide Expeditions set sail from Argentina on March 20 and has been anchored off Cape Verde since the outbreak. 

Three people on board died from a severe illness, one of whom has been confirmed to have had hantavirus. The Dutch citizen boarded with her husband in Argentina on April 1 after a tour of South America. Her husband developed a fever, a headache and mild diarrhoea on April 6. Following this, he developed respiratory problems and died within the same day on April 11.

After his death, the Dutchman’s body was brought to Saint Helena on April 24, where his wife also disembarked while experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms as well. The health of the Dutch woman deteriorated quickly, and she died in a hospital in South Africa on her journey back to the Netherlands. It was then confirmed that she died from a hantavirus infection. While her husband’s case is suspected hantavirus as well, it has not been confirmed.

The other confirmed hantavirus case is that of a British man who reported feeling ill on the cruise ship on April 24. When his symptoms worsened, he was medically evacuated to South Africa on April 27, where it was confirmed that he has hantavirus. The man is still in the ICU in Johannesburg.

Hondius passengers unable to disembark due to outbreak

There are still four more suspected cases on board, a deceased German woman whose body is still on the ship, and three others who are experiencing symptoms. The 88 passengers and 59 crew members on the cruise ship are not allowed to disembark.

According to NOS, the authorities in Cape Verde are only willing to let the three sick people off the cruise ship. Dutch authorities are “actively preparing” to medically evacuate the two crew members who are ill and a passenger who was travelling with the deceased German woman, reports AD. Oceanwide Expeditions has said that the plan is to continue sailing to Tenerife, where further medical screening can take place.

Until then, all passengers have been tested for hantavirus. They have also all been instructed to stay in their rooms and keep as much distance from each other as possible. 

Hantavirus in humans is mainly caused by contact with the bodily fluids of infected rodents. According to the WHO, while it is possible for human-to-human transmission to take place, it is rare. “Further investigations are ongoing. The outbreak is being managed through coordinated international response, and includes in-depth investigations, case isolation and care, medical evacuation and laboratory investigations,” wrote the WHO.