The World Health Organization and the operator of a cruise ship carrying nearly 150 people said Tuesday that the vessel was awaiting assistance off the coast of Cape Verde in the Atlantic Ocean, after three passengers died and three others were critically ill due to a suspected outbreak of the rare Hantavirus.
The crew of the Dutch ship MV Hondus, which is on a weeks-long polar voyage from Argentina to Antarctica and several remote islands in the South Atlantic, sought help from local health authorities after arriving on Cape Verde Island off the west coast of Africa.
But the operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, based in the Netherlands, reported that no one has been allowed to disembark from the ship so far.
Cape Verde's health ministry announced on Monday that it would not allow the ship to dock at the moment due to public health concerns, and said the ship would remain in open waters close to the shore.
"It is transmitted by rodents."
It is noted that the Hantavirus is transmitted through rodents, either through direct contact with them or through their urine, saliva, or droppings. The World Health Organization confirms that, although rare, it can sometimes be transmitted between humans.
The causes of the outbreak are still unclear, and the World Health Organization is investigating the matter, while simultaneously coordinating efforts to evacuate two infected crew members.
Authorities said another sick person, a British man who was evacuated to South Africa on April 27, has tested positive for the virus and is in critical condition receiving intensive care in quarantine.
According to a statement issued by the company, the body of one of the deceased passengers, a German national, remains on board the ship.
A 70-year-old Dutch man also died on board the ship on April 11, and his 69-year-old wife later died in South Africa after leaving the ship.
South Africa’s health minister said that post-mortem blood tests confirmed the wife was infected with the virus, bringing the number of confirmed cases to two. The 87 remaining passengers on board the ship include 17 Americans, 19 Britons, and 13 Spaniards, in addition to 61 crew members.
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