Three people have died and at least one other is in intensive care in South Africa following a suspected hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the World Health Organization announced on Monday.
The WHO confirmed one case of the rare disease and said authorities were investigating five further suspected cases among passengers on the MV Hondius. It is not yet known which strain of the virus passengers were exposed to.
Hantavirus is a rare but severe illness spread primarily through the urine and droppings of infected rodents such as mice and rats. It does not typically pass between people, though transmission between humans has been recorded in rare cases. Globally, an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 cases are reported each year.
There are two main forms of the disease. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which attacks the lungs and is most common in the United States, carries a fatality rate of around 38%. Haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, which primarily affects the kidneys and is prevalent in Europe and Asia, kills between 1% and 15% of those infected depending on the specific strain involved.
Investigators are considering two possible routes of transmission aboard the ship: passengers may have been exposed during shore excursions, or infected rodents may have boarded the vessel with cargo and spread the disease through contaminated droppings or urine.
There is no specific treatment or cure for either form of hantavirus. Early medical intervention — including respiratory support, oxygen therapy and dialysis — can improve survival chances. The disease is diagnosed using a PCR test.
To contain the outbreak, authorities are working to remove any rodents from the ship and monitor all passengers for symptoms. Health officials have noted that while the outbreak is cause for concern, hantavirus cases remain extremely rare globally.
(Reuters)