The World Health Organization is investigating a deadly hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship, with seven of the 147 passengers and crew reported ill and three dead. WHO’s Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove confirmed one patient is in intensive care in South Africa but improving, while two others remain on board off the coast of Cabo Verde awaiting medical evacuation to the Netherlands.
Passengers have been confined to their cabins as disinfection and public health measures are carried out. The ship is expected to continue to the Canary Islands, where Spanish authorities will conduct a full investigation.
Hantaviruses, typically spread by rodents, cause severe respiratory illness. Initial patients-a husband and wife-boarded in Argentina, likely infected before or during stops at African islands with high rodent populations. Dr. Van Kerkhove noted that human-to-human transmission among close contacts, such as cabin-sharing, may be occurring, though it is rare.
There are no specific treatments for hantavirus; supportive care including respiratory support and mechanical ventilation is critical. The WHO assured passengers of ongoing coordination with ship operators and their home countries, emphasizing, "We hear you. We know that you are scared."