A suspected case of Hantavirus infection has been reported on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Three people have died and at least three people are ill. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the South African Health Department confirmed this on Sunday. This cruiseship named MV Hondias is currently stopped in Praia, the capital of the African country Cape Verde. Passengers have not been allowed to disembark yet. This decision has been taken so that the risk of spreading the infection can be controlled. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), infection-like symptoms have been found in 6 people on the ship. One of these cases has been confirmed in the lab. One patient is admitted in the ICU in a South African hospital, while preparations are being made to evacuate two others by ship. It is also not yet known whether all the sick people are infected with Hantavirus or not. How and from where this disease spread is under investigation. The cruise passed through many countries in 7 weeks. This Netherlands-flagged cruise ship left from Ushuaia, Argentina on March 20. After this it went to the areas around the South Pole and then crossing the Atlantic and moving towards Europe. It was to eventually reach Spain’s Canary Islands, a major tourist destination located in the Atlantic near Africa. There are a total of 170 passengers and 71 crew members on board the ship. A doctor is also included in these. The first deceased was a man in his 70s, who died on board the ship. He was on this journey with his wife. After this his body was landed in St. Helena located in the South Atlantic. His wife later reached South Africa, from where she had to return to her native Netherlands. But her health suddenly deteriorated at the airport itself, she fainted and later died in the hospital. Cruise company Oceanwide Expeditions said the body of the third victim was still on board the ship in Cape Verde. How the infection spread, the biggest question being investigated is where the infection came from. There have been no recorded cases of hantavirus in the area of Argentina from where the ship departed. The ship also did not go to areas where the virus is common. Experts believe that the infection could have occurred inside the ship. Hantavirus spreads through contact with rats. According to the Center for Disease Control, Hantavirus spreads when a person comes in contact with a rat or squirrel. It occurs mainly in rats. Due to this, there is no disease in rats, but it causes death in humans. Hantavirus was first detected in 1993. Then a couple in America died due to infection. After this, within a few months, 600 people died due to this disease. Humans become infected when they come in contact with rat urine, feces and saliva. This causes a disease called pulmonary syndrome. This virus spreads in three ways – First: If a rat carrying the virus bites a human being, although such cases rarely occur. Second: A person comes in contact with the feces, urine or saliva of a rat present at some place or thing and touches his nose and mouth. Third: If a person eats something on which rat feces, urine or saliva is present. Hantavirus is more dangerous than Corona. According to scientists, Hantavirus does not spread through air, yet it is more dangerous than Corona virus. Scientists have so far discovered 5 strains of Hantavirus, the most dangerous of which is Araraquora virus, whose death rate after infection has been found to be 54%. At the same time, there is another strain Sin Nombre virus in which case death rate is 40%. The third strain is Hantan virus. Its death rate is between 5-10%. The risk of death from infection with any of these three can be much higher than that of Corona. Till now its vaccine has not been prepared nor is there any definite treatment. Such patients need special care and are given oxygen therapy. The sooner the matter is caught, the better it is.
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समुद्र में क्रूज शिप पर हंतावायरस फैलने का शक: 3 यात्रियों की मौत, अफ्रीका तट पर जहाज रोका गया, यात्रियों को उतरने की इजाजत नहीं
