Health authorities are racing to find a port for a cruise ship hit by an outbreak of Hantavirus, after three people died. The vessel, MV Hondius, has been stranded off Cape Verde off the coast of West Africa, where officials refused it permission to dock over infection fears. The World……
Health authorities are racing to find a port for a cruise ship hit by an outbreak of Hantavirus, after three people died.
The vessel, MV Hondius, has been stranded off Cape Verde off the coast of West Africa, where officials refused it permission to dock over infection fears.
The World Health Organization says two cases have been confirmed, with five more suspected among passengers and crew.
Of the seven cases, three have died, one is critically ill, while others have mild symptoms.
Authorities are now considering moving the ship to Spain, pending further health checks for people on board the ship.
WHO official Maria Van Kerkhove says the priority is evacuating two seriously ill crew members for urgent treatment.
The ship had travelled from Ushuaia, and investigations are ongoing into how the virus spread.
Hantavirus is usually linked to rodents, but experts are examining whether rare human-to-human transmission may have occurred.
The WHO says the overall global risk remains low.ths
