A suspected hantavirus outbreak on board a cruise ship in the Atlantic has left three people dead, and one in intensive care in Johannesburg, the World Health Organisation has told the BBC.
The outbreak occurred on the MV Hondius, which was travelling from Ushuaia in Argentina to Cape Verde.
A patient being treated in Johannesburg tested positive for a hantavirus, a family of viruses that can cause hemorrhagic fever, a South African health ministry spokesperson said earlier.
Five more suspected cases are under investigation, with one British national reportedly in intensive care.
Hantavirus infections are usually linked to environmental exposure, such as contact with waste from infected rodents, but in rare cases they can spread between people, resulting in severe respiratory illness.
South African authorities have told the BBC that the first symptomatic passenger was a 70-year-old man who died on board, and whose body is now on Saint Helena, a British territory in the South Atlantic. His 69-year-old wife also became ill and was evacuated to South Africa, where she died in a hospital in Johannesburg.
A 69-year-old British man has also reportedly been evacuated to Johannesburg, where he is being treated in intensive care.
Owned by the Dutch company Oceanwide Expeditions, the MV Hondius is described as a 107.6m (353ft) polar cruise ship which can accommodate 170 people in 80 cabins.
The World Health Organisation described the outbreak as a “public health event” and said it was helping to coordinate between member states and the ship’s operators for the medical evacuation of two symptomatic passengers, and a full public health risk assessment and support for those still on board.
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