Health authorities have reassured the public against panic following the deaths of three individuals associated with a rat virus outbreak on a cruise ship. The World Health Organization has advised against implementing travel restrictions despite the hantavirus outbreak, which is typically transmitted through rodent droppings. The victims’ mode of virus contraction is under expert scrutiny, with two of them being a married couple and a British man in critical condition in South Africa.
The outbreak occurred on the MV Hondius cruise ship, traveling from Argentina to Cape Verde with 149 passengers and crew. The British man, aged 69, was evacuated to Johannesburg and diagnosed with a variant of hantavirus. Investigations into the three deaths are ongoing, with hantavirus suspected but yet to be confirmed by lab tests. The first victim passed away on the ship on April 11, followed by the 70-year-old Dutch man and a German passenger on subsequent days.
Dr. Michael Head from Southampton University highlighted the rarity of hantavirus outbreaks on cruise ships, emphasizing the unusual nature of person-to-person virus spread. The ship’s origin from South America suggests a potential link to the Andes strain of the virus, known for previous reports of person-to-person transmission. The cruise ship, measuring 353ft in length and built in 2019, has been stationary off the Cape Verde coast for at least 24 hours.
Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed that two crew members, one British and one Dutch, are experiencing acute respiratory symptoms, requiring urgent medical attention. Currently, no other symptomatic individuals have been identified among the 23 British nationals on board, with 19 being passengers. Hantavirus, carried by rodents, can be transmitted to humans through inhaling particles from dried droppings, bites, or scratches, with limited instances of human-to-human transmission.
Dr. Liam Brierley from the MRC-University of Glasgow Center for Virus Research explained the transmission of hantaviruses through aerosolized virus particles shed from rodent droppings. He noted the rare occurrence of person-to-person transmission, emphasizing that the cases likely stemmed from a single exposure to rodents. Hantavirus can lead to severe illnesses such as Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) and Haemorrhagic Fever with Renal syndrome (HFRS), with varying degrees of severity and potential fatality rates.
Dr. Hans Henri Kluge, WHO Europe’s regional director, expressed urgency in responding to the cruise ship hantavirus event, emphasizing the low risk of human-to-human transmission and advising against panic or travel restrictions. Treatment for hantavirus focuses on symptom management, as there is no specific cure. Medical interventions may include oxygen therapy, mechanical ventilation, antiviral medications, and dialysis.
Dr. Charlotte Hammer from Cambridge University highlighted the potential sources of infection, including rodents boarding the ship and exposure during the ship’s last port call in Argentina. Similarly, Prof. Paul Hunter from the University of East Anglia underscored the typical transmission route of hantavirus from rodents to humans through airborne particles, with limited evidence of person-to-person spread. The experts cautioned against speculation on the outbreak’s origin and minimized the likelihood of increased risks in the UK or Europe due to the incident.