Three passengers on the cruise ship MV Hondius have died after an outbreak of severe respiratory illness during the voyage across the Atlantic. Le Parisien reported this on May 3 with reference to the AFP agency.
According to South African authorities, one of the deceased, a 69-year-old British citizen, tested positive for hantavirus. This virus can cause severe respiratory illness and hemorrhagic fever. Infected rodents are considered the main carriers of infection.
The first to develop symptoms was a 70-year-old passenger who died on board the ship. His wife also fell ill and later died in a Johannesburg hospital after being evacuated from the ship. A third sick passenger died in South Africa after being admitted to intensive care.
The MV Hondius was traveling from Ushuaia (Argentina) to Cape Verde (Africa) with stops on the islands of South Georgia and St. Helena. According to ship tracking services, the ship is now located at the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde.
The World Health Organization said it was monitoring the situation and coordinating an international investigation into the outbreak on board the ship.
