Cruise Ship Hantavirus Kills Three People
Three passengers on the cruise ship MV Hondius died after showing hantavirus symptoms. Hantavirus is a rare disease that spreads between people in unusual cases.
The World Health Organization confirmed at least eight cases linked to the ship. The specific strain is called Andes virus.
It is the only hantavirus known to spread between people. The ship is heading to Tenerife in Spain with over 140 passengers still on board.
The Canary Islands president declined to let the ship dock. But Spain's central government approved the plan.
Passenger evacuation from Tenerife is expected to begin on May 11. The US is planning a flight to bring American passengers home.
More than two dozen passengers left the ship before the outbreak was found. Health workers are now tracing contacts across about 12 countries. They are monitoring those passengers and the people they met.
Key Terms 5
- Hantavirus A rare disease spread through rodents; can pass between people in rare cases
- Andes virus A strain of hantavirus and the only type known to spread between people
- Contact tracing Finding and monitoring people who may have been exposed to a disease
- MV Hondius A cruise ship where the hantavirus outbreak occurred
- Canary Islands Spanish islands off northwest Africa; Tenerife is one of them