Health authorities are monitoring dozens of cruise ship passengers after a hantavirus scare. At least 23 individuals who may have been exposed are now returning to their home countries, including the US.
The alarming development comes as global health authorities continue tracking a growing outbreak linked to the expedition vessel MV Hondius, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions.
The outbreak has already resulted in multiple deaths and several confirmed or suspected infections from a rare strain of hantavirus, which WHO says is capable of human-to-human transmission.
Read more: MV Hondius hantavirus outbreak: How many Americans were on board? Latest update
Where are the passengers?
The 23 passengers who disembarked from the virus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius have already returned to countries including the United States, Australia, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands before being informed that they may have been exposed to hantavirus, the New York Post reported.
Passengers reportedly left the vessel during its stop at Saint Helena in the South Atlantic on April 23, unaware of the outbreak unfolding onboard. One passenger told Spanish newspaper El Pais that travelers had already dispersed across several continents before health alerts reached them.
{{/usCountry}}Passengers reportedly left the vessel during its stop at Saint Helena in the South Atlantic on April 23, unaware of the outbreak unfolding onboard. One passenger told Spanish newspaper El Pais that travelers had already dispersed across several continents before health alerts reached them.
{{/usCountry}}“The Australian went back to Australia, the one from Taiwan to Taiwan, the Americans to all corners of North America,” the passenger reportedly said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) later confirmed that international tracing efforts are now underway. WHO officials said passengers who disembarked had been contacted and instructed to monitor for symptoms and seek medical help if needed.
Read more: Virus-hit cruise ship evacuees land in Europe
How many confirmed cases have been reported on the ship?
According to the latest updates, at least three passengers have died, while eight or more people have reportedly fallen ill onboard the ship.
A Swiss passenger who had already returned home has also tested positive. Three people- a 56-year-old British national, a 41-year-old Dutch citizen, and a 65-year-old German- who were thought to be infected with the virus were evacuated from the ship earlier in the day and transported to the Netherlands for medical care.
At the time of reporting, the ship had departed from Cape Verde and started its journey to the Canary Islands on Wednesday evening.