Officials in Cape Verde have announced they will not allow a cruise ship suspected of harboring an outbreak of a rare respiratory virus to dock at its ports, following the deaths of three passengers onboard. The decision came hours after global health authorities scrambled to investigate the suspected hantavirus outbreak on the vessel in the Atlantic.
Hantavirus, a disease primarily found in rodents, is suspected of killing three people, including a married couple from the Netherlands, sickening at least two others, and sending a 69-year-old British tourist to intensive care in South Africa. Cape Verde health authorities stated they had been monitoring the situation and would not authorize docking “with the aim of protecting national public health.”
The country said it was in contact with authorities in the Netherlands and the UK regarding the Dutch-flagged ship, which carries 147 passengers and crew. “This coordination has enabled a swift, safe and technically appropriate response, ensuring the clinical monitoring of patients and the preparation of all necessary precautionary measures, including a possible medical evacuation by air,” it added.
The MV Hondius, which left Argentina around three weeks ago and made several stops crossing the Atlantic, made international headlines Sunday after the World Health Organization (WHO) said it was involved in a “public health event” onboard. The WHO confirmed one laboratory-tested case of hantavirus and five additional suspected cases. Of the six affected individuals, three have died, and one is in intensive care in South Africa.
South Africa’s health department identified two victims as a Dutch couple. The 70-year-old man suffered fever, headaches, and stomach pains before dying on the ship. His 69-year-old wife collapsed at an airport while attempting to return to the Netherlands and died at a nearby hospital. A British national was airlifted to a private facility in Johannesburg after testing positive for hantavirus.
The cruise operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, said late Sunday that two crew members onboard required urgent medical care and were awaiting authorization from Cape Verde for disembarkation. The company is working with Dutch authorities to repatriate the two crew members and the body of a deceased individual, along with a non-symptomatic guest. The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the deaths of two Dutch citizens.
Hantavirus infections, usually spread by infected rodents’ urine or feces, can lead to severe respiratory illness and can be fatal. While rare, person-to-person transmission is possible, according to the WHO. The virus gained global attention last year after actor Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, died from hantavirus infection in New Mexico.
Source: www.theguardian.com