Three die after virus outbreak on Atlantic cruise ship

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: BBC

One case of Hantavirus has been confirmed, with five more suspected cases under investigation, it said. One British national is reportedly in intensive care.

The outbreak was reported aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship, which was travelling from Argentina to Cape Verde.

Hantavirus infections are usually linked to environmental exposure, such as contact with urine or faeces from infected rodents, but in rare cases can spread between people, leading to severe respiratory illness.
...
South African authorities told the BBC the first person to show symptoms was a 70-year-old passenger who died on board. His body is now on the island of Saint Helena, a British territory in the South Atlantic.

Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy0294829ndo

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It's relatively small for a cruise ship - 350 feet long, 170 passengers.

[nycbos]

1. This is why I would never step on board a cruise ship.

Even if they offered to pay me.

[chelsea0011]

3. Would you take the subway

I cruise a lot and have never had an issue. Money in your pocket has more germs.

[paleotn]

5. Or spend 4 to 5 hours on a cross country flight.

Breathing each others air. That's life on earth. Like Tom Clancy once wrote, you pay your money and take your chances.

[dem4decades]

2. You'd think you'd be safer on a smaller ship, but what do i know.

[paleotn]

4. Oh, crap.

Damn deadly pathogen that killed Gene Hackman's wife. There are a number of variants. None of them pleasant. Some give ebola a run for its money in fatality rates. So far, humans have been lucky and no hantavirus strains have developed human to human transmission. At least not confirmed though there have been rumors. If a particularly nasty strain ever does, it's The Black Death all over again. Amazingly, people wondered why public health organizations took covid so seriously. We as a species have been down this road before and it's never pretty.