TheWorld Health Organisation(WHO) has issued a major update on aDutch-flagged cruise ship linked to an outbreak of hantavirus. Three people have died, while five reportedly have symptoms of the disease onboard MV Hondius, including a British national who was evacuated to an intensive care unit in South Africa, where they remain in a critical but stable condition.
Another passenger on the boat presented himself to a hospital in Zurich, Switzerland, where he was confirmed to have the virus. The vessel is currently anchored off the coast of Cape Verde, with passengers said to be isolating in their cabins.
Speaking during a news conference on Wednesday, WHO representative Marie Roseline Belizaire said the risk of hantavirus spreading on a global level was "low", rising to "medium" onboard the cruise ship.
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She added: "So far, we have the same virus confirmed... I think we can, with caution, say the cases are linked to the same outbreak because it's the same virus as confirmed in Switzerland, in the person evacuated in South Africa, and in the sample collected in Cape Verde."
Fellow WHO representative Ann Lindstand said the response was "multi-country and time sensitive".
She added: "We have been taking samples of the clinical patients onboard and they're being analysed right now."
Source: Daily Express :: World Feed
