Three pipo don die afta suspected hantavirus outbreak for cruise ship for Atlantic Ocean. World Health Organisation (WHO) confam one confirmed and five suspected cases for aboard MV Hondius ship wey dey travel from Argentina go Cape Verde.
A 69-year-old UK national dey intensive care for Johannesburg, South Africa. Local officials tell BBC say di man get virus.
Hantavirus na disease wey rat pass to human through dia shit, saliva or urine. E fit cause serious respiratory problem. Rarely, e fit spread from pesin to pesin.
MV Hondius na tour company Oceanwide Expeditions dey run. For statement, di operator say dem dey deal with “serious medical situation” and confam di three passenger death.
According to itinerary for dia website, MV Hondius depart from Ushuaia for southern Argentina on 20 March and finish journey on 4 May for Cape Verde, where e dey anchor outside capital, Praia.
Foster Mohale, spokesperson for South Africa health ministry, tell BBC say about 150 tourist from different countries dey onboard. E say Dutch couple don die – man wey be 70 years and woman wey be 69 years.
Di health official say di man suddenly become sick, develop fever, headache, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. E die on arrival for island of St Helena, wey be British territory for South Atlantic.
Di woman also become sick onboard and dem evacuate am go South Africa, where she die for Johannesburg hospital. Di third pesin wey die na also Dutch and dem dey work to repatriate dia body, along with guest wey “closely associated” with dem, Oceanwide Expeditions tok.
E also confam say two crew member need urgent medical care, but authorities for Cape Verde no gree make dem disembark go hospital. Disembarkation and medical screening of all guests require co-ordination with local health authorities, and we dey in close consultation with dem, Oceanwide Expeditions tok.
Microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles tell BBC say di time between pipo exposed to hantavirus and show symptom fit be anywhere from one to eight weeks. With dis incubation period, we go see more pipo come down with disease for next days and weeks?
Di UK Foreign Office tell BBC say dem dey monitor report, and ready to support British nationals. Hantavirus bin dey for headlines last year afta wife of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman die from respiratory illness wey relate to hantavirus for March 2025.
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