- By Ajeet Kumar
- Mon, 04 May 2026 05:04 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
- Suspected hantavirus outbreak on Atlantic cruise ship.
- Three people dead, including elderly couple; others sick.
- WHO investigating; patients evacuated to South Africa.
A suspected outbreak of the rare hantavirus infection on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean killed three people, including an elderly married couple, and sickened at least three others, the World Health Organisation and South Africa’s Department of Health said Sunday.
WHO said an investigation was underway but that at least one case of hantavirus had been confirmed. One of the patients was in intensive care in a South African hospital, the UN health agency said, and it was working with authorities to evacuate two others with symptoms from the ship.
The Dutch company that operates the cruise said the ship was now sitting off the coast of Cape Verde, an island nation off Africa’s west coast, and local authorities were assisting but had not allowed anyone to disembark. It said the two sick people onboard requiring urgent medical care were crew members.
What is hantavirus?
People get hantavirus from contact with rodents like rats and mice, especially when exposed to their urine, droppings, and saliva. It can also spread through a bite or scratch by a rodent, but this is rare.
What are the symptoms of hantavirus?
According to CDC, Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a group of clinically similar illnesses caused by hantaviruses found mostly in Europe and Asia. However, Seoul virus, a type of hantavirus that causes HFRS, is found worldwide, including in the United States. Besides, it said early symptoms can include fatigue, fever, muscle aches, especially in the large muscle groups like the thighs, hips, back, and sometimes shoulders.
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Some patients also experience headaches, dizziness, chills, abdominal problems, like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
Can hantavirus be life threatening?
An infection can rapidly progress and become life-threatening. Experts say it can start with symptoms that include a fever, chills, muscle aches and maybe a headache. “Early in the illness, you really may not be able to tell the difference between hantavirus and having the flu,” AP quoted Dr Sonja Bartolome of UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
Death rates vary by which hantavirus causes the illness. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is fatal in about 35 per cent of people infected, while the death rate for hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome varies from 1 per cent to 15 per cent of patients, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
How to prevent hantavirus?
You can eliminate or minimise contact with rodents in your home, workplace, or campsite to reduce your risk of exposure to hantaviruses. Seal holes and gaps in your home or garage to keep rodents from entering these spaces. Place traps in and around your home to decrease rodent infestation. Clean up any easy-to-get food that might attract rodents.
(With inputs from agencies)