Explainer: What is the hantavirus that killed three cruise ship passengers?
Key takeaways
- There have been eight known and suspected hantavirus cases linked to the cruise ship, the MV Hondius, the WHO said on Wednesday, including the three deaths.
- Three people were evacuated from the ship on Wednesday, two of them seriously ill, said the vessel’s operator Oceanwide Expeditions.
- There are nearly 150 people still on board the ship, which has been marooned off Cape Verde since Sunday and was expected to set off for Spain’s Canary Islands later on Wednesday.
Why this matters: local context for readers following news across Pakistan and the region.
Add ARY News on Google AAResize Three people have died in an outbreak of hantavirus aboard a luxury cruise ship, with another five confirmed or suspected cases reported, but the World Health Organization has said the wider threat to public health remains low.
There have been eight known and suspected hantavirus cases linked to the cruise ship, the MV Hondius, the WHO said on Wednesday, including the three deaths.
Three people were evacuated from the ship on Wednesday, two of them seriously ill, said the vessel’s operator Oceanwide Expeditions. Another patient remains in intensive care in South Africa, and a man who returned to Switzerland after being a passenger on the ship is being treated in Zurich.