Hantavirus: Three people have died due to Hanta virus on the cruise ship ‘MV Hondius’ in the Atlantic Ocean. According to WHO (World Health Organization), five cases of Hantavirus spread on the ship have been reported, while three other cases are still suspected.
According to the information, there are a total of 149 people on board this cruise operated by the Dutch company, including crew members. There are reports that three Indian crew members are also present in this cruise.
The first death on the cruise occurred on April 11. The deceased was a 70 year old man who was a resident of Dutch. His body was disembarked from the cruise in St. Helena about two weeks later. Later, the health of his 69-year-old wife St. Helena deteriorated and she also died. While the third passenger was a German woman, who died on May 2.
These deaths created a stir on the cruise ship. As a result, on April 24, dozens of passengers disembarked from the cruise ship without any contact tracing. After this they left for their respective countries. The cruise company said that about 146 passengers and crew members from 23 countries are under quarantine and monitoring.
What is Hantavirus and how does it spread?
Hantavirus is a rare but dangerous virus that spreads to humans primarily from rats and other rodents. This virus spreads through contact with urine, feces or saliva of infected rats.
This virus does not spread through air. This pass does not spread even by getting up and sitting. However, it spreads only through very close contact – such as between spouses, cabin mates or doctors treating people without protection.
It takes about 1-8 weeks for Hanta infection to be detected. Cold, body ache, fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache and vomiting can be its initial signs. Due to this, if the condition of the infected person worsens, problems like difficulty in breathing, filling of lungs with water, kidney failure, low blood pressure etc. occur.