The World Health Organization said the Andes strain of hantavirus is responsible for the outbreak on a luxury cruise ship.
Updated 12:18 p.m. ET, April 6: The WHO has confirmed five cases of hantavirus on the ship, including two passengers who were evacuated on Wednesday, The Associated Press reported.
Earlier, the health organization said that there were several cases, three confirmed, and five suspected.
“So far, of all the cases related to this boat, the eight cases, we now have five confirmed with laboratory testing for Andes virus,” Ann Lindstrand, WHO representative in Cape Verde, said. “So it’s quite a lot.”
Original report: Three people on board the MV Hondius have died and several people have become sick, The Associated Press reported.
So far, three people who were believed to have hantavirus have already been evacuated and the ship is expected to dock in the Canary Islands, but it is currently floating off the coast of Cape Verde as passengers isolate in their cabins.
About 150 people are still on the ship, according to Reuters.
A travel blogger from the U.S. on board the ship posted to Instagram, “We’re not just headlines; we’re people. People with families, with lives, with people waiting for us at home.” Jake Rosmarin went on to say, ”There is a lot of uncertainty, and that is the hardest part."
Health officials in South Africa said the strain found on the ship is the Andes variant, which is typically found in South America, specifically in Argentina and Chile. The strain can be transmitted among people, but it is rare. It is spread by close contact, such as sharing a bed or food, the AP reported.
The MV Hondius left Argentina on April 1 with an itinerary of stops in Antarctica and the Falkland Islands, among others. The plans have changed because of the outbreak.
Of the three people who died, two were a Dutch couple, with the man suspected of being the first case on board. The wife left the ship in St. Helena and flew to South Africa, where she died.
The WHO believes the couple came into contact with the virus before boarding the ship in Argentina. Contact tracing is underway for those who were on the plane with the woman before she died, The Washington Post reported.
The third person who died was a German national, Reuters reported.
One of those sickened was the ship’s doctor, according to Spain’s health ministry. He was supposed to have been taken to the Canary Islands, but his health improved, and he will be taken to the Netherlands, his home.
One person from Britain is being treated in South Africa, according to Reuters.
Another man who returned to his home in Switzerland from the ship has tested positive and is being treated, the AP reported.
The WHO said that the risk to the public is low and travel restrictions are not needed.
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