MV Hondius (Photo: Oceanwide Expeditions)
An outbreak of “severe acute respiratory illness” on board a passenger ship in the Atlantic Ocean has caused the death of two people. A third person is currently being treated in an intensive care unit in Johannesburg, South Africa’s Department of Health told AFP on Sunday.
The outbreak occurred on the MV Hondius. The ship was en route from Ushuaia in Argentina to Cape Verde.
The patient who is currently being treated in Johannesburg has tested positive for a hantavirus, a family of viruses that can cause hemorrhagic fever, said Foster Mohale, spokesperson for the department.
Hantaviruses are spread by rodents, particularly through contact with their urine, droppings and saliva, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“The WHO is aware of the cases of severe acute respiratory illness on a passenger ship sailing in the Atlantic Ocean,” the World Health Organization (WHO) told AFP in Geneva.
“Investigations and a coordinated international public health response are ongoing. 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 is currently on the island of St. Helena, a British territory in the South Atlantic, Mohale 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. According to Mohale, the authorities have not yet been able to confirm the victims’ nationality.
The third case, a 69-year-old Briton, was also evacuated to Johannesburg, where he is being treated in an intensive care unit.
The MV Hondius is described on the websites of various travel agencies as a polar passenger ship. It is operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, a Dutch tour company.
One of the cruise routes departs from Ushuaia to Cape Verde, with stops at the islands of South Georgia and St. Helena.
According to several online ship tracking sites, the MV Hondius was just outside the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, on Sunday.
The vessel can accommodate around 170 passengers and has around 70 crew members.