Three people are dead and three others have fallen ill in what officials believe is an outbreak of hantavirus aboard a cruise ship.
The MV Hondius is now anchored off the coast of Cape Verde, an island off the west coast of Africa, according toCNN, citing a statement by Oceanwide Expeditions, the company that operates the cruise ship.
The ship still has 149 people aboard, including 17 Americans, the outlet reported.
For now, passengers cannot disembark. Local health authorities boarded the ship to treat two crew members “requiring urgent medical care,” Oceanwide Expeditions said.
Hantavirus can cause a severe and often deadly respiratory illness. Contact with the saliva, urine, or droppings of rats and mice is the most common means of transmission.
The first victim was a 70-year-old man from the Netherlands who suffered a fever, headache, abdominal pain, and diarrhea before dying on April 11.
His 69-year-old wife died days later.
A German citizen died on Saturday.
Travel vlogger Jake Rosmarin said fear has spread through the ship.
“What’s happening right now is very real for all of us here. We’re not just a story. We’re not just headlines,” he said.
Source: VidNews » Feed
