health
Hantavirus patients are in Netherlands and South America after ship outbreak
There are a few confirmed cases of hantavirus in the Netherlands and South America, as the trans-Atlantic cruise ship on which the virus was detected heads toward an island south of Spain.
TL;DR
- Confirmed cases of hantavirus are in the Netherlands and South America.
- The outbreak occurred on the trans-Atlantic cruise ship MV Hondius.
- Three patients have been evacuated to the Netherlands for medical care.
- At least three passengers have died, and one person is being treated in South Africa.
- The ship is heading towards Tenerife, a Spanish island.
- The rare Andes strain of the virus originated in Argentina.
- Human-to-human transmission is suspected, though usually spread by rodents.
- Untreated hantavirus can lead to organ failure and death.
- The WHO assesses the current health risks to the broader public as low.