Hantavirus: Three dead in cruise ship outbreak as authorities investigate human-to-human transmission

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An outbreak of hantavirus on a cruise ship off Cape Verde has resulted in three deaths. Authorities are investigating the possibility of human-to-human transmission among passengers, with some critically ill patients needing evacuation for treatment.

Three people have died in an outbreak of hantavirus on a cruise ship anchored off the coast of Cape Verde.1 Authorities are investigating potential human-to-human transmission.Seven cases of the infectious disease harboured by rodents have been identified in passengers of the MV Hondius ship so far, with two laboratory confirmed cases and five suspected infections.2One critically ill patient—a British national with a confirmed infection—was evacuated to South Africa and is being treated in an intensive care unit.Another two will be evacuated to the Netherlands for treatment, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s director for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, said that given the characteristics of the outbreak, it may have been transmitted by people onboard the ship.“We do know that some of the cases had very close contact with each other and certainly human-to-human transmission can’t be ruled out, so as a precaution this is what...