Two die in ‘respiratory illness’ outbreak on Atlantic cruise ship

JOHANNESBURG: An outbreak of “severe acute respiratory illness” on board a cruise ship in the Atlantic has left two people dead and a third in intensive care in Johannesburg, South Africa’s health ministry told AFP on Sunday. The outbreak occurred on the MV Hondius, travelling from Ushuaia in Argentina to Cape Verde.

The patient being treated in Johannesburg tested positive for a hantavirus, a family of viruses that can cause hemorrhagic fever, South African spokesperson Foster Mohale said. Hanaviruses are spread by rodents, in particular contact with their urine, droppings and saliva, according to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

“WHO is aware of the cases of severe acute respiratory illness on a cruise ship sailing in the Atlantic,” the World Health Organization (WHO) told AFP in Geneva.

“Investigations and a coordinated international public health response is underway. We will share more information as it becomes available.”

The first person to develop symptoms was a 70-year-old passenger. He died on board the ship and his body was currently on the island of Saint Helena, a British territory in the South Atlantic, Mohale the South African spokesman said. His 69-year-old wife also fell ill on board and was evacuated to South Africa, where she died in a Johannesburg hospital, he said, adding that they were not yet able to confirm the victims’ nationality.