About 150 People Stranded On Cruise Ship After Suspected Hantavirus Outbreak

[andy06shake]

About 150 people are still onboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, after three people died from what appears to be hantavirus—a rare type of zoonotic virus carried by rodents—as the World Health Organization works to evacuate two symptomatic crew members still on board.

 

A total of 149 people from 23 countries, including passengers and crew members, are stuck onboard the MV Hondius, a Dutch-flagged cruise ship that sailed from Argentina.

The ship is currently stationary off the coast of Cape Verde, an island nation in the Atlantic off the coast of West Africa—although public health authorities have not given it permission to dock or evacuate the two sick crew members.

Three people have died since the suspected outbreak began, but only one patient has tested positive for hantavirus so far, Reuters reported later on Monday.

Three more people on board have become sick with symptoms of the virus, including one British passenger who was evacuated to South Africa and has since tested positive for a hantavirus variant.

The other two sick individuals on board are both crew members with “acute respiratory symptoms,” cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions said on Monday, and both require “urgent medical care.”

In a later update, the cruise ship operator said it was considering sailing to Las Palmas or Tenerife, both in Spain’s Canary Islands, where “further medical screening and handling could take place.”

The response seems cautious but necessary given uncertainty about Hantavirus transmission.

Certainly highlights how quickly confined environments like a cruise ship can turn nasty.

You can't just book a flight back home, and you are in it for the duration.

I suppose the situation echoes past cruise crises like the COVID-19 pandemic ship outbreaks.

Where containment outweighed convenience.

Anyhoo, Godspeed to the poor sods and a speedy recovery to the infected...

https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityara...-outbreak/ 
https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/hantavirus...UuH9EhFD6A

[angelchemuel]

Wonder if they've found the rat yet?
I'm pretty sure I read about this a couple of days ago as a British? passenger is in hospital in Jo'burgh SA
Rainbows
Jane

[andy06shake]

Wonder if they've found the rat yet?
I'm pretty sure I read about this a couple of days ago as a British? passenger is in hospital in Jo'burgh SA
Rainbows
Jane

Yeah, I heard about it yesterday.

Not much fun being on that cruise, methinks.

As to the virus, i think the mortality rate depends on the type.

"Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome" carries with it about 35%–40% mortality rate.

And "Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome" about 5%-15%.

[quintessentone]

Let's hope they all get the help they need.

"In a later update, the cruise ship operator said it was considering sailing to Las Palmas or Tenerife, both in Spain’s Canary Islands, where “further medical screening and handling could take place.”"

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[Oldcarpy2]

Cruise ships are huge floating Petri dishes...

[quintessentone]

One would think the staff/crew would be extra vigilant in checking for any damage to food containers/packaging where rodents may have been able to get in. (?)

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"Hantavirus, a rodent-borne virus, has caused a deadly outbreak on the MV Hondius, a Dutch-flagged cruise ship currently stranded off the coast of Cape Verde.  The vessel, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions and sailing from Argentina, has reported three confirmed deaths and multiple infections linked to the virus, which is transmitted through exposure to rodent urine, saliva, or droppings."

[andy06shake]

One would think the staff/crew would be extra vigilant in checking for any damage to food containers/packaging where rodents may have been able to get in. (?)

----

"Hantavirus, a rodent-borne virus, has caused a deadly outbreak on the MV Hondius, a Dutch-flagged cruise ship currently stranded off the coast of Cape Verde.  The vessel, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions and sailing from Argentina, has reported three confirmed deaths and multiple infections linked to the virus, which is transmitted through exposure to rodent urine, saliva, or droppings."

The problem is that ships naturally attract rats and mice because of food storage, waste, and constant docking at ports.

My grandpa used to say the bilge of most ships were full of the wee beasties.

And they never get them all...

[Oldcarpy2]

Perhaps, bring back Ships' Cats?

[quintessentone]

Perhaps, bring back Ships' Cats?

Oceanwide Expeditions own these cruise ships and they have some work to do with improving the negatives.

"Negative Aspects

• Customer Service and Refunds: A major point of contention involves poor handling of itinerary changes; some customers report being "ghosted" by customer service and denied refunds when key destinations (like Kvitøya) are skipped due to captain's decisions rather than weather. 
  
• Safety Concerns: A minority of reviews cite unsafe zodiac operations, including drivers not using safety switches and rough handling that led to injuries.
  
• Ship Design Flaws: Some older ships, like the Ortelius, are criticized for poor design elements such as a lecture room that causes seasickness and cramped common areas. 
  
• Understaffing: A few past reviews mention inexperienced or understaffed crews, leading to communication issues and mediocre food quality in earlier years, though recent feedback suggests improvements." (LLM)
  
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If introducing mousers is the only remedy, then they should do it.

[andy06shake]

Perhaps, bring back Ships' Cats?

 

I mean, it seems like an obvious solution.

But the fact is, there are so many wet, nasty, slimy, places and pipes, down below the decks of a ship.

That even cats won't venture...