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Hantavirus Cruise Ship Outbreak: 3 Dead, 8 Ill
9 May
Summary
- Eight individuals fell ill with hantavirus, resulting in three fatalities.
- Six confirmed Andes virus cases and two probable cases were identified.
- US plans medical repatriation for its citizens aboard the affected ship.
The World Health Organization reported an outbreak of hantavirus on a cruise ship, with eight individuals falling ill and three succumbing to the illness. Six cases were confirmed as Andes virus through PCR testing, while two others are considered probable.
The ship, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, had 147 passengers and crew when the outbreak was initially identified on May 2. Four patients are currently hospitalized in South Africa, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. The vessel departed Cabo Verde on May 6 and is en route to Spain's Canary Islands.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed it is monitoring US travelers aboard the ship. A US government medical repatriation flight is scheduled to bring American passengers to Omaha, Nebraska. The WHO assesses the global risk as low, but the risk to those on board is moderate.
