BREAKING
A suspected outbreak of hantavirus on a cruise ship has caused the death of three people, it has been reported.
A British man is in intensive care as three people have died as a result of the outbreak of the virus, two of whom are Dutch nationals.
The British tourist is being treated in intensive care in Johannesburg while another three passengers fell ill, two of whom are on board.
The reported outbreak happened on the MV Hondius cruise ship, as it was travelling between Argentina and Cape Verde.
Oceanwide Expeditions, the operator based in the Netherlands, has confirmed that it is managing “a serious medical situation”.
According to media reports, the cruise ship departed about three weeks ago with around 150 passengers and stopped in the Antarctic and other locations on its way to Cape Verde.
What is hantavirus and how is it treated?
The rodent-borne virus known as hantavirus can either mostly affect the lungs or kidneys, and there are no specific drugs to treat it.
Treatment for hantavirus focuses on supportive care, while in severe cases, it includes putting patients on ventilators.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hantavirus is spread mainly by rodents and are not from person-to-person.
People get hantavirus from contact with rodents like rats and mice, especially when exposed to their urine, droppings, and saliva.
It can also spread through a bite or scratch by a rodent, but this is rare, according to CDC.
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