By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
A British tourist is being treated in hospital in South Africa after testing positive for hantavirus on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed.
According to WHO, three people have died, one case has been confirmed, with five suspected cases under investigation.
The WHO said in an X post that one of the sick passengers was in intensive care in South Africa. It was investigating the outbreak.
Hantavirus can be spread when droppings and urine of rodents become airborne, such as when people sweep out sheds where mice have been living. WHO said the virus can be spread between people in rare cases.
The illness begins with flu-like symptoms and can lead to heart and lung failure, with around 40% of cases resulting in death, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
There are no specific drugs to treat hantavirus, so treatment focuses on supportive care, including putting patients on ventilators in severe cases.
South Africa’s Department of Health minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi said, the passenger fell ill while the vessel was sailing between St Helena and Ascension.
Motsoaledi said, he was briefed by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) on Monday.
“As you know, this is an international trip that involves the World Health Organization. In South Africa, the key institution is the NICD. I was only being briefed this morning [Monday] about it.”
Despite medical treatment provided to him at Ascension, his condition did not improve and necessitated his medical evacuation to a South African private health facility in Sandton for further medical management.
“His laboratory test results came back positive for hantavirus – a rare but potentially deadly virus transmitted primarily by rodents. The patient is still in critical condition in isolation but receiving medical attention,” said Motsoaledi.
“While the ship was travelling past South African shores, some of the passengers experienced serious health complications arising from what was initially considered severe acute respiratory infections,” added Motsoaledi.
Authorities have moved quickly to trace anyone who may have come into contact with infected passengers.
Despite growing concern over the outbreak, the minister called for calm, insisting the risk to the South African public remains low as investigations continue into the deaths and illnesses linked to the cruise ship’s voyage.
The MV Hondius, which can accommodate about 170 passengers and has 70 crew members, is listed as a polar cruise ship on the websites of several travel agencies.
One of the cruises offers an itinerary departing from Ushuaia in Argentina and sailing to Cape Verde, with stops in the islands of South Georgia and Saint Helena.
The UK’s Foreign Office said: “We are closely monitoring reports of a potential hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship Hondius and stand ready to support British nationals if needed. We are in touch with the cruise company and local authorities.”
The story has been updated with the Department of Health comment.