Hantavirus strike cruise ship: three dead, British man critical

Hantavirus don hit cruise ship for Atlantic Ocean, three people don die and one UK national dey intensive care for South Africa. The ship, MV Hondius, wey Oceanwide Expeditions dey run, get 149 people from 23 countries onboard. The company confirm say a Dutch husband and wife, and a German national don die. The British man, wey be 69 years old, dey critical but stable for Johannesburg hospital after dem confirm say e get hantavirus. The Dutch woman wey die also get the virus. The other deaths still dey under investigation.

Hantavirus na sickness wey rodents dey spread through their poop, saliva, or urine. E fit cause serious respiratory problem, but e no dey common for person-to-person transmission. The World Health Organization (WHO) dey investigate five more suspected cases from the ship. The ship dey currently off Cape Verde coast, and the atmosphere onboard dey calm, according to Oceanwide Expeditions. Two crew members—one British, one Dutch—get acute respiratory symptoms, but dem never confirm hantavirus for them. Dem need urgent medical care, and Dutch authorities dey prepare for medical evacuation with two specialised aircraft.

The timeline show say one passenger die on April 11, and dem take the body off for St Helena on April 24. The passenger’s wife also die later. On April 27, the British national become seriously ill and dem evacuate am to South Africa. Another German passenger die on Saturday. Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, South Africa’s health minister, say the British patient dey critical but stable, and dem dey give supportive treatment because no specific cure for hantavirus. He say health workers wey contact the patient go dey traced and tested.

UK government dey support the family through consular teams for UK, South Africa, Spain, and Portugal. Oceanwide Expeditions dey consider sailing to Las Palmas or Tenerife for disembarkation and medical screening. WHO regional director for Europe, Dr Hans Henri P Kluge, say hantavirus infections no common, and risk to public dey low. No need for panic or travel restrictions. One passenger wey no want mention name tell BBC say dem dey expect plane to evacuate three people to Europe, and the rest go sail to Canary Islands. Cape Verde authorities no want allow disembarkation to protect local population, according to Maria Da Luz, president of Cape Verdean Public Health Institute.