Global health authorities have said the suspected hantavirus outbreak may be transmitting between passengers on board a cruise ship as it ordered the evacuation of two infected passengers.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said medics would board the vessel in order to evacuate two individuals in an update on Tuesday.
It added there may be some human-to-human transmission happening between close contacts on board the cruise ship, but maintained the risk to global health is low.
A British crew member is currently in need of “urgent” medical care while another Briton is undergoing treatment in intensive care following the suspected outbreak on board the Dutch-flagged vessel MV Hondius.
The boat began a remote expedition voyage from Argentina to Cape Verde on 1 April, during which at least three people have died.
Confirmed cases include a British passenger receiving care in South Africa and a Dutch woman who died on 27 April after disembarking.
The WHO said a total of seven hantavirus cases – two confirmed and five suspected – had been identified on the cruise ship so far.
Are you or is anyone you know aboard the MV Hondius? If so, please email nicole.wootton-cane@independent.co.uk
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Risk to global population low, WHO says
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is continuing to assess the risk of the hantavirus outbreak to the global population as low.
In a statement, officials said: “Based on the current information, including how hantavirus spreads, WHO assesses the risk to the global population from this event as low.
“We are working closely with health authorities from the countries involved and the ship's operators to ensure passengers and crew get the information and support they need.”
'No rats' on board MV Hondius, reports say
There are no rats on board the MV Hondius, the World Health Organisation says it has been told.
Hantavirus typically spreads from infected rodents and only rarely passes between humans.
The agency said it is possible hantavirus may have spread between close contacts on board the ship.
Medics to board ship and evacuate two infected passengers, WHO says
Medics will be allowed to board the MV Hondius and evacuate two infected passengers, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.
In an update on Tuesday, the agency said there may be some human-to-human transmission happening between close contacts on board the cruise ship.
It added the risk to the wider public remains low.
WHO said the ship will then continue to the Canary Islands.
Family of Dutch couple pay tribute
The family of a Dutch couple, both 69 years old, who were on the cruise ship MV Hondius and died last month have paid tribute to them.
The husband and wife, who have not been named, died on 11 and 26 April respectively. It is understood the husband became ill first and died on board, while his wife disembarked but later became unwell on her return journey and died. Tests confirmed she had contracted hantavirus.
In a statement obtained by Sky News, the couple’s family said they were from the village of Haulerwijk in the north of the Netherlands.
"The beautiful journey they experienced together was abruptly and permanently cut short,” they said.
"We are still unable to comprehend that we have lost them. We wish to bring them home and commemorate them in peace and privacy.”
Watch: Cruise ship passenger makes emotional plea from hantavirus-struck vessel
What are the symptoms of hantavirus?
Hantavirus are a family of viruses which can cause serious illnesses and death.
Mainly spread by rodents, the viruses can cause diseases like hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).
The main symptoms in early stages of HPS infection are:
• fatigue
• fever
• muscle aches
Four to 10 days later, late symptoms appear. These include coughing and shortness of breath.
The main symptoms in early stages of HFRS infection are:
• intense headaches
• back and abdominal pain
• fever/chills
• nausea
• blurred vision
Later symptoms can also include:
• low blood pressure
• lack of blood flow
• internal bleeding
• acute kidney failure, which can cause severe fluid overload
What to know about hantavirus as illness linked with three deaths on Atlantic cruise ship
Three passengers are dead and an investigation is underway after a suspected outbreak of hantavirus ripped through an Atlantic Ocean cruise ship.
While only one hantavirus infection has been confirmed through testing, five others have also fallen ill on the MV Hondius, which was traveling from Argentina to Cape Verde.
The deceased passengers include a senior Dutch couple and a German national, according to Dutch shipowner Oceanwide Expeditions.
Read more here:
What to know about hantavirus as illness linked with three deaths on cruise ship
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What’s the relevance of this being on a cruise ship?
Scientists do not yet know how the cruise ship passengers became infected with Hantavirus, but said outbreaks on cruise ships are not uncommon.
Experts have also reassured it is unlikely to spread to the UK.
Dr Benjamin Brennan at the University of Glasgow said: “Infectious disease outbreaks on cruise liners are not uncommon (e.g. norovirus). We don’t yet know whether it’s relevant that this current situation has happened on a cruise ship.”
Prof Jon Cohen, Emeritus Professor of Infectious Diseases, Brighton and Sussex Medical School said there is “not a particular reason for these infections to occur on cruise ships,” and added that the source of the infection is still unknown.
“It is too early to speculate on how the affected people became infected.But it is very unlikely that this outbreak would lead to an increased risk in the UK or elsewhere in Europe,” Prof Paul Hunter, Professor in Medicine, UEA, added.
Passengers face 900-mile voyage to Canary Islands before they are allowed off the ship
Simon Calder the Independent’s Travel Correspondent reports:
Passengers will not be allowed off the MV Hondius, location for an outbreak of hantavirus, until she reaches the Canary Islands – 900 miles northeast of her present location, Cape Verde.
The voyage is expected to take three days.Three people who were on the voyage from Argentina to Cape Verde have died and a British man is in hospital in South Africa.
The health authorities in Cape Verde have refused to allow the non-symptomatic passengers and crew to disembark.
Dr Maria van Kerkhove, director for Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention at the World Health Organisation (WHO), has been explaining the latest thinking on BBC Breakfast about the outbreak of hantavirus aboard the MV Hondius.
“Our working hypothesis is that there's probably a couple of different types of transmission that might be happening: maybe some infection – exposure to rodents or their faeces or their saliva before passengers embarked – and potentially some limited human to human transmission among the contacts.
"We're working with the ship's operators, we're working with the nations from where they are from, to make sure that we have a plan for where the boat goes next, which will be the Canary Islands, and to make sure that there's a proper assessment that is done, that information is shared with them, that they receive food, they receive water, and of course that they're medically evaluated over the course of several weeks.
“We want to ensure that they are safe, we want to ensure that even if they are infected – and like we said, we have no other symptomatic people on board – to make sure that they will receive medical care.
“We do know that one of the viruses can transmit between people, but in previous outbreaks it's been quite limited – and when I say limited, I mean among close contacts or with prolonged contact.
“We have a working hypothesis that there's probably a mixture of different types of transmission.
“This is also a boat that went to many different islands. They were looking at wildlife, they were looking at birds, and on some of these islands there's rodents as well.
“So there could be a mixture of exposure to rodents in different places, but because some of the cases are close contacts, sharing cabins together, our assumption is that there's a bit of a mix.”
Hantavirus has an incubation period of up to eight weeks. Dr van Kerkhove said: “We're working with Spanish officials to actually develop that plan to make sure that there is a plan in place for an assessment on board once the ship docks in the Canary Islands to do a proper risk assessment.”
“It's not about docking and letting everybody go without any follow-up or any support.”
US travel blogger one of 17 Americans onboard
American travel blogger Jake Rosmarin, who has over 44,000 followers on Instagram, was aboard the ship when the suspected outbreak.
While onboard the ship, along with 149 passengers including 17 Americans, he shared a teary social media update.
“I am currently on board the MV Hondius, and what’s happening right now is very real for all of us here,” Rosmarin said in a video shared Monday on Instagram.
“We’re not just a story, we’re not just headlines. We’re people. People with families, with lives, with people waiting for us at home.”
“There’s a lot of uncertainty, and that’s the hardest part,” Rosmarin added.
“All we want right now is to feel safe. To have clarity, and to get home,” the blogger continued.
“If you’re seeing coverage of this, just remember that there are real people behind it and that this isn’t something happening somewhere far away…It’s happening to us right now,” he concluded the video.