Three people have died and several others are ill in a suspected hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
A 70-year-old Dutch passenger died on arrival at St. Helena. His 69-year-old wife later died at a hospital in Johannesburg. A third passenger, also deceased, has not been identified.
A 69-year-old British citizen is in intensive care in Johannesburg after being diagnosed with hantavirus. Two crew members on the ship are also reported ill.
South African authorities confirmed the deaths. Local health teams have boarded the vessel to examine symptomatic individuals, according to the shipping company.
The MV Hondius, a Dutch-flagged liner, departed Argentina three weeks ago en route to the Canary Islands, following stops in Antarctica and the Falklands. The ship carries roughly 150 passengers and 70 crew.
The vessel is currently moored off Cape Verde, near the west coast of Africa. No one has been permitted to disembark.
Hantavirus causes hemorrhagic fever and spreads through rodent urine and dry droppings. Human-to-human transmission is rare, according to Australian virus researcher Paul Griffin. He noted that crowded, enclosed environments like a cruise ship could facilitate transmission. Griffin also stated that improved hygiene since the COVID-19 pandemic makes this potential outbreak unusual.