Three people have died after a suspected hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported one confirmed and five suspected cases aboard the MV Hondius ship, which was travelling from Argentina to Cape Verde.
A 69-year-old UK national is also in intensive care in Johannesburg, South Africa. Local officials told the BBC he had the virus.
Hantavirus is usually passed to humans from rodents via their faeces, saliva or urine. It can cause severe respiratory illness. Rarely, it can be transmitted between people.
The MV Hondius is run by tour company Oceanwide Expeditions. In a statement, the operator said it is dealing with “a serious medical situation” and confirmed the three passenger deaths.
According to an itinerary on its website, MV Hondius departed from Ushuaia in southern Argentina on March 20, and completed its journey on May 4 in Cape Verde, where it is anchored outside the capital, Praia.
It is described as a 107.6m (353ft) polar cruise ship, with space for 170 passengers in 80 cabins, along with 57 crew members, 13 guides, and one doctor.
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Foster Mohale, a spokesperson for South Africa’s health ministry, told the BBC that there are about 150 tourists from various countries on board the vessel.
He said a Dutch couple had died, a man, aged 70, and a woman, aged 69.
The health official said the man suddenly became ill, developing fever, headache, abdominal pain and diarrhoea.
He died on arrival on the island of St. Helena, a British territory in the South Atlantic.
The woman also became ill on board and was evacuated to South Africa, where she died in a Johannesburg hospital.
The third person who died was also Dutch, and efforts were underway to repatriate their body, along with a guest “closely associated” with them, Oceanwide Expeditions said.
It also confirmed two crew members required urgent medical care, but authorities in Cape Verde had not given authorisation for them to disembark and go to the hospital.
“Disembarkation and medical screening of all guests require coordination with local health authorities, and we are in close consultation with them,” Oceanwide Expeditions said.
Microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles told the BBC the time between people being exposed to hantavirus and showing symptoms could be anywhere from one to eight weeks.
