The World Health Organization said three people have died on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean after a suspected hantavirus outbreak.
The agency said it has confirmed, through laboratory testing, one case of hantavirus and suspects there are five additional cases.
“Of the six affected individuals, three have died and one is currently in intensive care in South Africa,” the organization said in a statement on Sunday.
The WHO says that hantavirus infections are usually linked to environmental exposure to the feces or urine of infected rodents, commonly mice.
“While rare, hantavirus may spread between people, and can lead to severe respiratory illness and requires careful patient monitoring, support and response,” the organization says.
The WHO did not specify the vessel in its statement, but Agence France-Presse reported that the outbreak occurred on the MV Hondius, a cruise ship currently off the coast of Cape Verde. The Hondius can carry up to 170 passengers in 80 cabins, according to Oceanwide Expeditions, its Dutch operator.
The WHO said it’s conducting a detailed investigation, including laboratory tests and epidemiological investigations. It’s also coordinating with member states and the ship’s operators to evacuate two “symptomatic passengers medically.”
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