Three people are dead and at least four more are suspected to have fallen ill after a hantavirus outbreak on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius.
The World Health Organisation has now confirmed that a Dutch woman from Friesland was carrying the virus when she died.
Her husband (who also passed away) is strongly suspected to have had the virus, though laboratory tests have not yet established this.
A German woman also died on board, bringing the total number of fatalities to three.
The WHO’s first report on the outbreak also identifies a man currently hospitalised in South Africa as a verified case. This brings the WHO’s count to two confirmed cases, five probable cases, and three deaths.
149 people are stranded near Cape Verde
The MV Hondius, operated by Dutch expedition company Oceanwide Expeditions, is anchored near Praia, the capital of Cape Verde. No one on board is allowed to disembark.
The ship set out around three weeks ago with roughly 150 passengers, heading to the South Pole and the Falkland Islands.
Symptoms of hantavirus first appeared onboard on April 6, when the 69-year-old Dutch man developed a fever, headache, and mild diarrhoea. His condition worsened rapidly, and he died five days later after developing severe breathing difficulties.
Of the 149 people from 23 countries still on board, passengers have been told to stay in their cabins and keep their distance from one another.
According to NOS, tests have been carried out on everyone, but results are not yet known.
Among those with probable infections are at least one Dutch crew member and one British crew member, both suffering from high fevers and other symptoms.
Evacuation being prepared, but not yet confirmed
According to a press release by Oceanwide Expeditions, Dutch authorities are actively preparing to evacuate two symptomatic crew members and one person who travelled with the deceased German passenger.
Two specialised aircraft with medical equipment are being readied, though the company stressed the operation is not yet finalised.
What is hantavirus?
Hantavirus is a rare virus usually spread through contact with infected rodents, more specifically, their urine, saliva, or droppings.
It doesn’t pass easily between people, which is why the WHO considers the risk to the general public to be low.
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