Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship: Three Dead, Brit in ICU

Hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship has killed three passengers, with a British national in intensive care. The Silicon Review reports on the WHO investigation, confirmed cases, and symptoms of the rare rodent-borne virus.

Three people have died and a British national is fighting for his life in intensive care after a suspected Hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship sailing across the Atlantic Ocean.

The World Health Organization confirmed the outbreak aboard the MV Hondius, a vessel operated by Dutch tour company Oceanwide Expeditions. The ship was travelling from Ushuaia, Argentina, to Cape Verde when passengers began reporting severe flu-like symptoms.

Of the six affected passengers, one case has been laboratory confirmed as Hantavirus, with five additional suspected cases under investigation. According to WHO, three of the affected individuals have died, and one person a 69-year-old British man – remains in intensive care in a Johannesburg hospital.

Hantavirus symptoms can initially be mistaken for common flu. Early signs include fever exceeding 101°F, chills, muscle aches, severe headaches, nausea, stomach complaints and a dry cough. However, the infection can rapidly progress to severe respiratory distress, with patients developing Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome a condition causing fluid buildup in the lungs that makes breathing difficult.

The virus is typically transmitted to humans through contact with infected rodents, particularly their urine, droppings or saliva. People can become infected by inhaling aerosolized particles contaminated with the virus, often in enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces. While person-to-person transmission is uncommon, WHO notes it has been reported in limited outbreaks.

The first fatality was a 70-year-old passenger who died on board; his body was transferred to the British territory of Saint Helena. His 69-year-old wife also fell ill and was evacuated to South Africa, where she later died in a Johannesburg hospital. The third victim's identity has not been released.

"WHO is aware of and supporting a public health event involving a cruise vessel sailing in the Atlantic Ocean," the agency stated. "To date, one case of Hantavirus infection has been laboratory confirmed, and there are five additional suspected cases." 

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: "We are closely monitoring reports of a potential Hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship Hondius and stand ready to support British nationals if needed." 

As the Hantavirus outbreak on MV Hondius claims three lives and leaves a British man in intensive care, The Silicon Review examines the rare rodent-borne virus that turned a transatlantic cruise into a nightmare and what WHO investigators are doing to contain the threat before more passengers fall ill.