Countries track hantavirus-hit cruise ship passengers

Countries worldwide sought to prevent the further spread of the hantavirus on Thursday, after an outbreak on a cruise ​ship, by tracking those who had disembarked before the virus was detected and anyone who had close contact with them since, Reuters writes.

Three people – a Dutch couple and a German national – died ‌in the outbreak on the MV Hondius.

In total, five people are confirmed to have contracted the virus, with another three suspected cases, the World Health Organization said. Hantavirus is usually spread by rodents but can in rare cases be transmitted person-to-person.

All passengers who disembarked in St. Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean, where the ship made a stop on April 24, have been contacted, the ship’s operator said. This included people from at least 12 countries.

The WHO said it was working on step-by-step guidance for when the dozens of ​passengers remaining on the ship, which is sailing to the Canary Islands, arrive there on Saturday or Sunday and the passengers disembark and travel home. None of these passengers currently have any symptoms.