A cruise ship is currently facing a suspected hantavirus outbreak, with three passengers reported dead and the specific strain identified by officials. The World Health Organisation mentioned the potential for the virus to transmit through close contacts. The luxury liner MV Hondius, off the West African coast, is holding around 150 individuals, where three deaths have occurred, one of whom tested positive for hantavirus.
South Africa’s health ministry linked two confirmed cases to the Andes strain of hantavirus and provided information on the disease. Hantavirus can lead to hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS), affecting the heart and lungs with a high mortality rate, particularly with the Andes strain.
Initial symptoms of the Andes virus may resemble flu-like symptoms, such as fever, chills, muscle pain, and gastrointestinal issues. Respiratory symptoms may appear later, including a dry cough due to capillary leakage into the lungs. Additional signs could include more severe flu-like symptoms, abdominal pain, and potential complications like respiratory failure, shock, and bleeding.
Transmission of hantavirus commonly occurs from rodents to humans through contact with infected rodents, their droppings, saliva, or urine. The Andes variant can spread between humans through close contact, often within families. There is no specific treatment or vaccine, but supportive care is crucial for managing respiratory, cardiac, and kidney complications.
The Andes hantavirus strain originates from infected rodents in South America, particularly reported in countries like Argentina and Chile. The WHO mentioned that the deceased couple, aged 70 and 69, had traveled through South America before boarding the ship. The MV Hondius faced refusal to dock in Cape Verde and the Canary Islands, with three patients evacuated for medical care in the Netherlands.
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