A second case of hantavirus has been confirmed onboard a cruise ship crossing the Atlantic, as health concerns continue to grow following multiple deaths.
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The situation involves the MV Hondius, where officials believe a suspected outbreak may have spread among passengers.
So far, three people have died, while another remains seriously ill.
Cruise Ship Outbreak Raises Concerns After Multiple Deaths Reported
An elderly Dutch couple, aged 70 and 69, are among the confirmed fatalities.
The husband fell ill onboard and later died on Saint Helena, while his wife died shortly after in a hospital in Kempton Park.
The ship had been travelling between Argentina and Cape Verde when the outbreak first emerged.
Updated reports indicate that a German passenger has also died.
However, the Dutch woman remains the only confirmed fatality directly linked to hantavirus. Investigations are ongoing into the causes of the other deaths.
A 69-year-old British man also fell ill during the journey and is now in intensive care at a private medical facility in Johannesburg.
Passengers Remain Onboard Under Strict Measures as Evacuations Planned
The vessel was scheduled to dock in Cape Verde on Tuesday, but authorities have prevented passengers from disembarking as a precaution.
Dutch operator Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed that 149 passengers from 23 countries remain onboard.
They are all under "strict precautionary measures," including isolation and enhanced hygiene protocols.
Two crew members, one British and one Dutch, require "urgent medical care". They are expected to be evacuated alongside a close contact of the deceased German passenger.
"The latest word is that a plane is on its way and once it gets here three people will be evacuated from the ship and flown straight to Europe," an anonymous passenger told the BBC.
"Then the rest of us will almost certainly sail to the Canary Islands."
"The Cape Verde authorities clearly want nothing to do with us. This is what we're hearing from the captain and staff. From what I can see the mood (on the ship) is pretty good."
Hantavirus is typically spread through contact with infected rodent droppings, saliva, or urine and rarely transmits between humans. It can cause severe respiratory illness.
Maria Van Kerkhove said via the BBC that the virus may have been contracted before departure in Argentina. Or during one of the ship's stops along the journey.
