Three die after suspected hantavirus outbreak on Atlantic cruise ship
Three people have died after a suspected virus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship in the Atlantic, according to the World Health Organization.
One confirmed hantavirus case and five suspected cases are now under investigation.
The ship was travelling from Argentina to Cape Verde when the outbreak was reported.
The WHO said it was helping coordinate between member states and the ship's operators, including medical evacuation for two symptomatic passengers.
South African health officials said the first person to show symptoms was a 70-year-old passenger who died on board.
His 69-year-old wife was evacuated to South Africa and later died in a Johannesburg hospital.
A 69-year-old British national was also reportedly evacuated to Johannesburg and is being treated in intensive care.
The body of the first passenger is now on Saint Helena, a British territory in the South Atlantic.
The case is significant because hantavirus infections are usually linked to exposure to infected rodents, but in rare cases can spread between people and cause severe respiratory illness.
