The World Health Organization says a deadly virus outbreak aboard a cruise ship that has claimed three lives may have involved limited human-to-human transmission.
Health authorities have confirmed two laboratory cases of Hantavirus, with a further five suspected infections linked to the vessel, which had been travelling from Argentina.
Of the seven cases, three people have died. One patient is currently being treated in isolation at a medical facility in Johannesburg, while three others remain on board the ship receiving treatment.
The vessel, carrying 147 passengers and crew, is anchored off the coast of Cape Verde as investigations continue.
The WHO believes the index case may have contracted the virus prior to boarding the ship.
South African epidemiologist Dr Jo Barnes said the virus was first identified in the 1950s and is responsible for approximately 10,000 infections annually, primarily in Europe, Asia, and parts of North and South America.
Barnes explained that hantavirus is typically transmitted through contact with rodent droppings or urine, often when contaminated dust particles are inhaled.
“It is very rarely transmitted from human to human. Infection usually occurs when people inhale dust contaminated by droppings or urine from infected rodents, particularly in enclosed spaces,” she said.
She added that there are two main forms of the disease. The first presents with symptoms such as sudden fever, severe headaches, blurred vision and nausea.
The second, known as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, is more severe and can lead to acute respiratory distress, muscle aches and fever. In serious cases, it can be fatal in up to half of those infected.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely as efforts to contain the outbreak remain underway.