Three people died due to a virus outbreak on board a cruise liner

Three people have died due to a possible outbreak of hantavirus on board the cruise liner MV Hondius, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported to Agence France Press (AFP).

The liner was traveling from the Argentine city of Ushuaia to Cape Verde across the Atlantic Ocean.

According to the organization, laboratory tests have confirmed one more case of the virus, while the status of five other individuals remains unclear.

“Of the six affected, three have passed away, and one is currently in intensive care in South Africa,” the statement said.

A spokesperson for the South African Ministry of Health reported that the hospitalized passenger is a 69-year-old British citizen. He was evacuated after testing positive for hantavirus.

As reported by NT1 Info, among the deceased are a married couple: a 70-year-old man, the first to exhibit symptoms and who died on board the liner, and his 69-year-old wife, who was evacuated to a hospital in Johannesburg, where she passed away.

“WHO is aware of cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome on a cruise ship traveling in the Atlantic. An investigation is underway, and international public health response measures are being coordinated,” WHO stated earlier.

Source: RBC