Understanding Hantavirus: The Suspected Cause Behind the Deadly Cruise Ship Outbreak

A rare hantavirus outbreak is suspected to have occurred on a cruise ship navigating the Atlantic Ocean, resulting in the deaths of three individuals. This information comes from the World Health Organization and South Africa’s health ministry.

Oceanwide Expeditions, based in the Netherlands, issued a press release disclosing that they are dealing with a “serious medical situation” aboard the MV Hondius, a polar expedition vessel located near Cape Verde, an island off Africa’s western coast.

The cruise, which set sail from Argentina around three weeks prior, carried approximately 150 passengers and made stops in Antarctica and other destinations before heading toward Cape Verde, according to various media outlets.

A representative from the Dutch foreign ministry confirmed the deaths of two Dutch nationals but withheld additional information.

South Africa’s health department reported that the first victim, a 70-year-old man, died on the ship. His body was subsequently offloaded in Saint Helena, a British territory in the South Atlantic.

The man’s wife later collapsed at a South African airport while attempting to board a flight back to the Netherlands. She succumbed to her condition at a nearby hospital.

The third case, a 69-year-old Briton, was evacuated to Johannesburg, where he had been treated in intensive care.

Three others are sick, one of whom is in intensive care in South Africa.

The WHO, which is investigating the outbreak, said lab tests confirmed one person had hantavirus and five others were “suspected cases”.

Oceanwide Expeditions said Cape Verde authorities had not given permission for passengers requiring medical care to disembark, and Dutch authorities were trying to repatriate two sick passengers, along with the body of a deceased passenger.

The MarineTraffic global shipping website identified the vessel as a Dutch-flagged passenger cruise ship. It was docked in Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, on Sunday night, local time.

South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases said it was conducting contact tracing in the Johannesburg region to identify if others were exposed to the infected passengers in South Africa.

What is hantavirus?

According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hantaviruses are a family of viruses that can cause serious illness and death.

Hantavirus mainly spreads between rodents, but humans can get infected through contact with infected mice or rats when exposed to their urine, droppings and saliva. In rare cases, it can be spread from person-to-person.

The virus made headlines after the late actor Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, died from hantavirus infection in the United States last year. Hackman died about a week later at their home from heart disease.

Hantaviruses, which are found worldwide, cause two syndromes: hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).

HPS affects the lungs, with early symptoms including fatigue, fever and muscle aches usually starting one to eight weeks after contact with an infected rodent.

Later symptoms include coughing, shortness of breath and chest tightness as the lungs fill with fluid. About 38 per cent of people who develop respiratory symptoms die from the disease, according to the CDC.

HFRS affects the kidneys, with symptoms including intense headaches, back and abdominal pain, and fever usually developing one to two weeks after exposure.

Later symptoms include low blood pressure, lack of blood flow, internal bleeding and acute kidney failure. Between 5 and 15 per cent of cases are fatal, depending on the virus causing the infection.

There is no specific treatment or cure for hantavirus infections, but early medical attention can increase the chance of survival.

— With additional reporting by the Associated Press and Reuters.

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