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Four Australians are stuck on the luxury MV Hondius cruise ship at the centre of a deadly suspected Hantavirus outbreak.
The Aussies are among 149 people on board from 23 countries. It is understood the Aussies aren’t currently presenting with any symptoms.
According to its latest statement, the ship, owned by Oceanwide Expeditions, is still dealing with the serious medical situation.
It is currently off the coast of Cape Verde but has been refused permission to dock in the West African island nation after three passengers died and others became seriously ill with symptoms.
The ship, which was on a week-long polar cruise from Argentina to Antarctica, had requested help from local health authorities on Sunday following the its most recent death, the New York Post reported.
So far, no one has yet been allowed to disembark, the company operating the cruise said.
Authorities in Cape Verde said they had not allowed the Dutch-flagged ship to dock as a precaution, citing the “aim of protecting national public health”.
Oceanwide Expeditions said a passenger died on board, on April 11, but the cause of death could not be determined. He was experiencing a fever, headache, abdominal pain, and diarrhoea, officials said.
The passenger was disembarked on St Helena, with his wife accompanying the repatriation.
However, on April 27 his wife also became unwell during the return journey and later died.
The 69-year-old was transferred to South Africa, but collapsed at a Johannesburg airport and died at a nearby hospital, according to the New York Post.
Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed on May 4 a variant of Hantavirus was identified in the woman who died.
Both passengers were Dutch nationals.
On the same day, another passenger became seriously ill and was medically evacuated to South Africa.
The cruise operator said the passenger, who is from the UK, is currently being treated in the intensive care unit in Johannesburg and is in a critical but stable condition. It confirmed a variant of Hantavirus has been identified in this patient.
It is a rare infection spread by rodents that can cause serious respiratory illness or haemorrhagic fever.
This brings the total number of confirmed Hantavirus cases to two.
On May 2, another passenger on board died. The cause has not yet been established. This passenger was of German nationality, according to the cruise operator.
“There are currently two crew members on board with acute respiratory symptoms, one mild and one severe,” Oceanwide Expeditions said.
“Both require urgent medical care. These crew members are of British and Dutch nationality. “At this time, no other persons with symptoms have been identified.”
The cruise operator said Hantavirus has not currently been confirmed in the two persons still on board who require medical care.
– with the New York Post
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