Three dead in suspected hantavirus outbreak on Atlantic cruise ship
Three people have died after a suspected hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, the World Health Organization (WHO) has told the BBC.
One case has been confirmed, with five suspected cases under investigation, it said. One British national aged 69 is in intensive care in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Hantavirus is usually passed to humans from rodents via their urine or faeces. It can cause severe respiratory illness. Rarely, it can be transmitted between people.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy0294829ndoOpen linkView original on lemmy.world
16 replies
Cruise Ship and Hantavirus is a combo made in hell.
Just the point that three people have died from an infection transferred by rats tells a horrible tale about the hygienic state of the ship. I don't think that you see rats as a passenger on a normal cruise ship. That several people got close enough to those rats to get infected is not a good sign.
I would assume the rodents got close enough to the food, rather
Not just rodents, but their feces, IIRC. Which are very small and might not be immediately noticed if not in the open.
Just so people here know, it's unlikely that this will lead to a pandemic or wider outbreak.
And you jinxed it.
... god damn it. We need this shit airborne if we're to get rid of all the people!
What a clean ship it must be! Oceanwide Expeditions must be proud.
Fyi hantavirus is what killed Gene Hackman's wife.
They regularly stop at ports. Could've come from several sources
This one usually sails in Antarctica, and it was going from Patagonia to St Helena - I don't think it was regularly stopping at ports
The infected and/or dead.
This is from mouse and rat shit in the food.
Enjoy your vacation! All you can eat!
Cruise ships make me wonder about if this could happen on colony ships.
There goes my plans for a cruise of the Four Corners area.
I'd rather take my chances with the sharks and hypothermia.