The ship headed for the British territory of St. Helena, where 30 guests disembarked, including the first fatality, a Dutchman who died on April 11.
GENEVA (AFP) – The World Health Organization said on Thursday that there were now five confirmed cases of hantavirus from the Atlantic cruise ship outbreak, with three more suspected – and warned that more cases were possible.
The WHO said it expected the outbreak on the MV Hondius, currently sailing from Cape Verde to the Spanish island of Tenerife, to be contained, as long as public health measures were properly implemented.
“Eight cases have been reported so far, including three deaths. Five of the eight cases have been confirmed as hantavirus and the other three are suspected,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“The type of hantavirus involved in this case is the Andean virus, which is found in Latin America,” he told reporters in Geneva.
“Given the incubation period of the Andean virus, which can be up to six weeks, it is possible that more cases will be reported,” he added.
The Dutch-flagged ship departed from Ushuaia in Argentina on April 1 on its voyage north through the Atlantic Ocean to Cape Verde. He headed north to Tenerife on Wednesday.
The WHO said it had informed 12 countries that their nationals had landed on the MV Hondius in St Helena.
The ship traveled to British territory from 22 to 24 April. Its operator said 30 guests had disembarked at that point, including the first fatality, a Dutchman who died on April 11.
The 12 countries were Britain, Canada, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United States, Tedros said.
Tedros said he had been in regular contact with the ship’s captain.
“He told me that morale has improved significantly since the ship started moving again. I thank him for all he has done to protect those in his care,” he said.
WHO director of emergency alert and response Abdi Rahman Mahamud added: “We believe this will be a limited outbreak if public health measures are implemented and solidarity is shown in all countries.”
The rare disease is usually spread by infected rodents, usually through urine, feces and saliva.
Andean virus is found in South America. It is the only type of hantavirus with documented human-to-human transmission.
Tedros said Argentina will send 2,500 diagnostic kits to laboratories in five countries.
After leaving Ushuaia on its journey across the Atlantic, the explorer ship stopped at several remote islands along the way.
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© Agence France-Presse
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