The World Health Organization (WHO) has verified a second case of hantavirus infection on a vessel in the Atlantic Ocean, as reported by Dutch cruise ship operator Oceanwide Expeditions. The latest case involved a Dutch female passenger who passed away on April 27. Currently, around 150 individuals remain on board after the deaths of a Dutch couple, a German national, and two ill crew members.
Another hantavirus-infected passenger, a British national, has left the ship and is receiving intensive care in Johannesburg, South Africa. The statement from Oceanwide Expeditions highlighted that two crew members, one with mild symptoms and the other severe, urgently require medical attention. These crew members are of British and Dutch nationality, with no other symptomatic individuals identified at present.
Hantaviruses, carried by rodents, can lead to severe illness in humans. Infection usually occurs through contact with infected rodents, their urine, droppings, or saliva, with rare instances of human-to-human transmission. Symptoms of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) include headache, dizziness, fever, gastrointestinal issues, and respiratory distress, typically appearing 2-4 weeks after exposure to the virus.
