A suspected hantavirus outbreak aboard a polar cruise ship in the Atlantic has killed three people, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed to the BBC.
The MV Hondius, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, was sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde when the outbreak occurred. One confirmed and five suspected cases have been reported, with one UK national aged 69 currently in intensive care in Johannesburg, South Africa. Local officials later confirmed he had contracted the virus.
Hantavirus is typically transmitted to humans through contact with rodent urine or feces and can cause severe respiratory illness. Human-to-human transmission is rare.
According to Foster Mohale, spokesperson for South Africa's health ministry, the deceased include a Dutch couple—a 70-year-old man and a 69-year-old woman. The man developed fever, headache, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, and died upon arrival at St Helena, a British territory in the South Atlantic. The woman also fell ill onboard and was evacuated to South Africa, where she died in a Johannesburg hospital.
The WHO is coordinating with member states and the ship's operator to medically evacuate two symptomatic passengers and conduct a full public health risk assessment.
The MV Hondius, a 107.6-meter polar cruise ship, can carry up to 170 passengers. There were reportedly around 150 tourists from various countries aboard. The vessel departed Ushuaia, Argentina on March 20 and was expected to reach Cape Verde on May 4.