A suspected hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship traveling through the Atlantic Ocean has resulted in three deaths and at least three other illnesses, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed. A British tourist is currently receiving hospital treatment in South Africa following the suspected outbreak, according to the country's Department of Health.
What is hantavirus?
Hantavirus is a group of viruses typically carried by rodents. Infections can cause severe respiratory illness and can be fatal. According to Public Health England, hantaviruses cause a range of diseases in humans, from mild flu-like symptoms to severe respiratory illness or haemorrhagic disease. The viruses are responsible for two serious infections: haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS).
Details of the outbreak
The suspected outbreak occurred on the Dutch-flagged passenger cruise ship MV Hondius, which was sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde. The ship was docked near Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, on Sunday night, according to ship tracking website MarineTraffic. Among the deceased are a 70-year-old man and his 69-year-old wife, both from the Netherlands, as reported by the South African health authority. The WHO has confirmed at least one case of hantavirus.
How does hantavirus spread?
Hantavirus infections are usually spread through contact with infected rodents' urine or faeces. While rare, human-to-human transmission is possible, according to the WHO. The virus becomes airborne when rodent urine, droppings, or saliva dry out. Other transmission routes include direct contact with rodents or their nests, contaminated materials, bites from infected rodents, and consuming contaminated food or water, according to the British Pest Control Association.
Symptoms of hantavirus
Symptoms typically develop within one to eight weeks after exposure. Early symptoms of HPS include fever, fatigue, and muscle aches. About half of patients also experience headaches, chills, dizziness, and abdominal issues such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Late symptoms, appearing four to ten days later, include coughing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness as the lungs fill with fluid. For HFRS, initial symptoms include intense headaches, back and abdominal pain, fever, chills, nausea, and blurred vision. Patients may also have facial flushing, eye inflammation, or a rash. Later symptoms can include low blood pressure, lack of blood flow, internal bleeding, and acute kidney failure leading to severe fluid overload.
Treatment and recent cases
There is no specific treatment or cure for hantavirus, but early medical attention significantly improves survival chances. In a recent case, actor Gene Hackman's wife, Betsy Arakawa, died from hantavirus infection last year. The 65-year-old had fluid accumulation in her chest and mild hardening of blood vessels. Hackman, 95, died about a week later from heart disease and tested negative for hantavirus.
