The World Health Organization announced that as of May 4, there have been seven cases of hantavirus identified following a suspected outbreak on a luxury cruise ship situated off West Africa, predominantly carrying British, American, and Spanish passengers.
According to WHO, seven cases, including two laboratory-confirmed hantavirus cases and five suspected cases, have been reported, resulting in three deaths, one critically ill patient, and three individuals with mild symptoms. Approximately 150 individuals, including four Canadians, remained onboard the vessel after three fatalities, with authorities noting that a Briton who fell ill had disembarked and was under treatment in South Africa.
Global Affairs Canada confirmed that no Canadians were directly affected by the outbreak and Canadian consular officials were in contact with local authorities. Hantavirus, which can lead to severe respiratory illness, is typically transmitted through airborne particles from rodent droppings or urine and not easily between humans.
Treatment for hantavirus focuses on supportive care, such as using ventilators in severe cases, as no specific drugs are available. The risk to the wider public was deemed low by the World Health Organization, with no necessity for panic or travel restrictions. However, Cape Verdean authorities did not permit the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius to dock as a precautionary measure.
Oceanwide Expeditions, the ship’s operator based in the Netherlands, stated that they were exploring the possibility of screening and disembarking passengers at Las Palmas and Tenerife islands. The vessel departed from Ushuaia in Argentina in March on an Antarctic nature expedition voyage. The company is arranging the repatriation of crew members showing symptoms, including a British and a Dutch national, along with the body of a deceased German national and a guest closely associated with the deceased.
South Africa’s Health Department confirmed the deaths of a Dutch couple, one on St. Helena and the other in South Africa, though it remains uncertain if their deaths were due to hantavirus. The cause of death for the German victim is also pending confirmation. Hantavirus typically presents flu-like symptoms weeks after exposure, with the source of the current outbreak yet to be determined.
Veterinarian Dr. Scott Weese suggested that multiple infections likely stemmed from a single rodent source and emphasized the importance of investigating where infected individuals resided or spent time on the ship. While person-to-person transmission is possible but limited, Dr. Samir Gupta highlighted that it is more likely through bodily fluid contact than airborne transmission. The affected passengers may have been exposed before the cruise, given the virus’s incubation period.
Despite evidence of human-to-human transmission in certain hantavirus species, experts believe this outbreak is unlikely to escalate significantly.