In Praia, Cape Verde, three patients—two confirmed and one suspected—were evacuated from a cruise ship amid a hantavirus outbreak. The ship, carrying around 150 people, left Cape Verde bound for Spain’s Canary Islands, with all passengers isolated in their cabins. Two of the evacuees, including a British doctor, were taken to separate hospitals in Amsterdam, while a third was asymptomatic but closely related to a German passenger who died on board.
The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed five cases of hantavirus, primarily transmitted through rodent feces. Three people have died, with ongoing investigations into how the outbreak began. Two Argentine officials suspect that a Dutch couple contracted the virus during a bird-watching tour in Ushuaia, where they may have been exposed to rodents.
Despite the outbreak, those remaining on the ship have shown no symptoms. The Dutch ship operator noted that two evacuees were in serious condition, while health authorities assured that the situation does not pose a public threat. The WHO stressed that this outbreak is not similar to COVID-19, indicating that while hantavirus is serious, the risk of person-to-person transmission is low.
As health authorities work to track potential contacts of the infected passengers, two individuals who tested positive were reported in Zurich and South Africa. South Africa is actively tracing contacts of the travelers, with health officials confirming that 42 of 62 individuals tested negative for the virus.
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