(NEXSTAR) – Officials think a rare hantavirus outbreak could be responsible for several deaths and cases of illness on a Dutch cruise ship.
Three individuals have passed away out of six suspected cases linked to the MV Hondius, according to the World Health Organization’s statement released on Monday.
The World Health Organization confirmed that a British individual had contracted hantavirus and was evacuated on April 27, subsequently being placed in an intensive care unit at a hospital in South Africa.
A 70-year-old Dutch man passed away on April 11 while on board, and his 69-year-old wife died later in South Africa after departing the ship, according to officials. Her blood tested positive for the virus afterward, resulting in two confirmed cases, as stated by South Africa’s health minister.
The remains of a deceased passenger — a German national — are still on the ship, as stated by an Oceanwide Expeditions announcement.
Two of the individuals involved are crew members, one from Britain and the other from the Netherlands, who require immediate medical attention, as stated by Oceanwide. Authorities in Cape Verde have dispatched medical personnel to the vessel on multiple occasions and are preparing for medical evacuations, according to Dr. Ann Lindstrand, a World Health Organization representative based in Cape Verde, who spoke with The Associated Press.
Of the 87 passengers still on board, 17 are American, 19 are from the United Kingdom, and 13 are Spanish, as reported by Oceanwide Expeditions. Additionally, 61 crew members are also aboard.
What are hantaviruses?
Hantaviruses are transmitted by rodents and may lead to severe illness in people, typically through exposure to the animals’ urine, feces, or saliva.
“Although uncommon, hantavirus can transmit from person to person and may cause serious breathing problems, necessitating thorough patient care, monitoring, and timely intervention,” stated the WHO.
Gastrointestinal and respiratory illness outbreaks occur from time to time on cruise ships, where large groups of people are confined in close spaces for extended periods. These incidents are typically triggered by highly infectious pathogens, with norovirus being the most common cause.
A total of 23 gastrointestinal outbreaks occurred on cruise ships that visited U.S. ports during the previous year, with 18 of these incidents attributed to norovirus, as reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
However, hantavirus is generally not linked to cruise ships, and it does not spread easily from person to person.
Research suggests that hantaviruses have existed for hundreds of years, with cases reported in Asia and Europe. It wasn’t until the early 1990s that a new type of hantavirus appeared in the southwestern United States, leading to an acute respiratory illness called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
The illness drew interest last year following the passing ofactor Gene Hackman ’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, passed away due to a hantavirus infection in New Mexico.
What are the symptoms?
The initial signs—typically appearing one to eight weeks following exposure—often consist of tiredness, a fever, and joint pain, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“Early on in the illness, you might not be able to distinguish hantavirus from the flu,” said Dr. Sonja Bartolome from UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
Approximately half of the patients experience headaches, lightheadedness, shivering, and gastrointestinal problems.
Later symptoms that typically appear between 4 to 10 days following the initial stage may involve chest tightness, fluid accumulation in the lungs, coughing, and difficulty breathing.
Another condition linked to hantavirus – referred to as hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, which may lead to bleeding, elevated temperature, and kidney failure – typically appears within a week or two following exposure.
The fatality rate differs depending on the type of hantavirus causing the disease. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome results in death for approximately 35% of those infected, whereas the mortality rate for hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome ranges between 1% and 15%, as reported by the CDC.
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