Source: Radio New Zealand
The MV Hondius stationary off the port of Praia after an outbreak of “severe acute respiratory illness” on board. AFP
A microbiologist says it’s crucial to discover the source of a suspected rare virus that’s hitting passengers on a cruise ship.
Three have died in what was thought to be an outbreak of hantavirus on a ship that was now anchored off the coast of west Africa.
Another passenger, a 69 year-old man, was also in intensive care and the company operating the cruise ship said it was confirmed he had the virus.
Oceanwide Expeditions said there were a further two passengers still on board who were symptomatic.
The ship was on a journey from Argentina to the Canary islands, carrying 150 tourists.
WHO is aware of and supporting a public health event involving a cruise vessel sailing in the Atlantic Ocean. To date, one case of hantavirus infection has been laboratory confirmed, and there are five additional suspected cases. Of the six affected individuals, three have died… pic.twitter.com/SqMAAZzoID
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) May 3, 2026
Microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles told Checkpoint the virus was caught from excretions from infected rodents.
“People tend to get infected either by breathing in dust that has this material on it, or by touching it, then touching their face, or by being bitten by a rodent,” Wiles said.
“So it’s not the sort of thing that you expect on a cruise ship.”
She said the cruise company needed to figure out if the infection came from a rodent infestation on the ship, or from infected food, or some other source.
Wiles said human to human transmission was rare, but the virus was spreading through the air, and passengers should be wearing masks to protect themselves and stop its spread.
Symptoms started with common virus ailments such as fatigue and muscle aches, then victims ended up with a serious lung disease which could be deadly in two to four out of every 10 people who get it, she said.
“The interesting thing is whether one person was exposed and is transmitting it to others, or whether lots of people have been exposed,” Wiles said. “Understanding how they’re catching it will help to stop the spread.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand